וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ וַיֵּלְכ֡וּ בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵ֨ן וּבְנֵי־גָ֜ד וַחֲצִ֣י שֵׁ֣בֶט הַֽמְנַשֶּׁ֗ה מֵאֵת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִשִּׁלֹ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן לָלֶ֜כֶת אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַגִּלְעָ֗ד אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נֹֽאחֲזוּ־בָ֔הּ עַל־פִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
And the sons of Reʾuven, and the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Menashshe returned and went away from the sons of Yisraʾel, from Shilo, which is in the land of Kenaʿan, to go to the land of the Gileʿad, to the land of their possession, in which they had taken possession, according to the command of YHWH by the hand of Moshe.
Morphology
- וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ (vayyashuvu) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they returned”; Notes: Indicates a completed narrative action.
- וַיֵּלְכ֡וּ (vayyeleku) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went”; Notes: Denotes movement away.
- בְּנֵי־רְאוּבֵ֨ן (bene-Reʾuven) – Root: בן, ראובן (ben, Reʾuven); Form: Construct noun, masculine plural + proper noun; Translation: “the sons of Reʾuven”; Notes: Indicates tribal affiliation.
- וּבְנֵי־גָ֜ד (u-vene-Gad) – Root: בן, גד (ben, Gad); Form: Construct noun, masculine plural + proper noun; Translation: “and the sons of Gad”; Notes: Another tribal group.
- וַחֲצִ֣י (va-ḥatsi) – Root: חצי (ḥatsi); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and half of”; Notes: Specifies division.
- שֵׁ֣בֶט (shevet) – Root: שבט (shevet); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “tribe”; Notes: Indicates lineage.
- הַֽמְנַשֶּׁ֗ה (ha-Menasheh) – Root: מנשה (Menasheh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Menasheh”; Notes: Name of a tribe.
- מֵאֵת֙ (me-et) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates separation.
- בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (bene-Yisraʾel) – Root: בן, ישראל (ben, Yisraʾel); Form: Construct noun, masculine plural + proper noun; Translation: “the sons of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Denotes national identity.
- מִשִּׁלֹ֖ה (mi-Shiloh) – Root: שלה (Shiloh); Form: Proper noun with preposition מ; Translation: “from Shiloh”; Notes: Refers to a location.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a clause.
- בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן (be-ʾerets-Kenaʿan) – Root: ארץ, כנען (ʾerets, Kenaʿan); Form: Construct noun, feminine singular + proper noun; Translation: “in the land of Kenaʿan”; Notes: Specifies location.
- לָלֶ֜כֶת (lalekhet) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to go”; Notes: Purpose of action.
- אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַגִּלְעָ֗ד (el-ʾerets ha-Gilʿad) – Root: ארץ, גלעד (ʾerets, Gilʿad); Form: Construct noun, feminine singular + proper noun; Translation: “to the land of the Gilʿad”; Notes: Their destination.
- אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָם֙ (el-ʾerets aḥuzzatam) – Root: ארץ, אחז (ʾerets, ʾaḥaz); Form: Construct noun, feminine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to the land of their possession”; Notes: The land they inherited.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a clause.
- נֹֽאחֲזוּ־בָ֔הּ (noʾaḥazu-bah) – Root: אחז (ʾaḥaz); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural + prepositional suffix; Translation: “they had taken possession in it”; Notes: Nifal indicates passive reception.
- עַל־פִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה (ʿal-pi YHWH) – Root: פה, יהוה (peh, YHWH); Form: Construct noun, masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “according to the command of YHWH”; Notes: Literally “by the mouth of YHWH,” indicating divine instruction.
- בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה (be-yad Moshe) – Root: יד, משה (yad, Moshe); Form: Construct noun, feminine singular + proper noun; Translation: “by the hand of Moshe”; Notes: Indicates agency through Moshe.