וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם יְהֹושֻׁ֗עַ אִם־עַם־רַ֤ב אַתָּה֙ עֲלֵ֣ה לְךָ֣ הַיַּ֔עְרָה וּבֵרֵאתָ֤ לְךָ֙ שָׁ֔ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַפְּרִזִּ֖י וְהָֽרְפָאִ֑ים כִּֽי־אָ֥ץ לְךָ֖ הַר־אֶפְרָֽיִם׃
And Yehoshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzi and the Refaʾim, since the hill country of Efrayim is too narrow for you.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾmr); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Standard narrative form.
- אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם (aleihem) – Root: אל (ʾl); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates direction of speech.
- יְהֹושֻׁ֗עַ (Yehoshua) – Root: יהושע (Yehoshua); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehoshua”; Notes: Refers to Joshua, the leader of Yisra’el.
- אִם־עַם־רַ֤ב (im-ʿam-rav) – Root: אם (ʾm), עם (ʿm), רב (rb); Form: Conditional phrase; Translation: “If you are a numerous people”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- אַתָּה֙ (atta) – Root: אתה (ʾth); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphasizing the subject.
- עֲלֵ֣ה (ʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿlh); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “go up”; Notes: Commanding action.
- לְךָ֣ (lekha) – Root: לך (lk); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Indicates personal benefit.
- הַיַּ֔עְרָה (ha-yaʿrah) – Root: יער (yʿr); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the forest”; Notes: Refers to woodland area.
- וּבֵרֵאתָ֤ (u-bereta) – Root: ברא (brʾ); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and clear”; Notes: Intensive action.
- לְךָ֙ (lekha) – Root: לך (lk); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Emphasizes possession.
- שָׁ֔ם (sham) – Root: שם (šm); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates location.
- בְּאֶ֥רֶץ (be-ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾrṣ); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “in the land of”; Notes: Describes the location.
- הַפְּרִזִּ֖י (ha-Perizzi) – Root: פרז (prz); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “the Perizzi”; Notes: Refers to a Canaanite people.
- וְהָֽרְפָאִ֑ים (ve-ha-Rephaʾim) – Root: רפא (rpʾ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and the Refa’im”; Notes: A race of giants.
- כִּֽי־אָ֥ץ (ki-aṣ) – Root: אוץ (ʾṣ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “since it is too narrow”; Notes: Expresses cause.
- לְךָ֖ (lekha) – Root: לך (lk); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Indicates who is affected.
- הַר־אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ (har-Efrayim) – Root: הר (hr), אפרים (ʾprym); Form: Noun construct phrase; Translation: “the hill country of Efrayim”; Notes: Refers to the tribal territory.