וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע יְהֹושֻׁ֔עַ בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר אָר֨וּר הָאִ֜ישׁ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָקוּם֙ וּבָנָ֞ה אֶת־הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ אֶת־יְרִיחֹ֔ו בִּבְכֹרֹ֣ו יְיַסְּדֶ֔נָּה וּבִצְעִירֹ֖ו יַצִּ֥יב דְּלָתֶֽיהָ׃
And Yehoshua made an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before YHWH who rises up and builds this city, Yeriḥo; with his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”
Morphology
- וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע (vayyashbaʿ) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “(and) made an oath”; Notes: Sequential verb form indicating a completed action in narrative.
- יְהֹושֻׁ֔עַ (Yehoshua) – Root: ישע (yashaʿ); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yehoshua”; Notes: Refers to Joshua, son of Nun.
- בָּעֵ֥ת (ba-ʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition בְּ; Translation: “at the time”; Notes: Indicates the specific time of the event.
- הַהִ֖יא (ha-hi) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers back to the specific time mentioned.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אָר֨וּר (ʾarur) – Root: ארר (ʾarar); Form: Passive participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Cursed”; Notes: Describes the subject (the man) as cursed.
- הָאִ֜ישׁ (ha-ish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Refers to any individual in a general sense.
- לִפְנֵ֣י (lifnei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates position relative to YHWH.
- יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hwh); Form: Proper noun, the Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name of the God of Israel.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- יָקוּם֙ (yaqum) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “rises up”; Notes: Describes an action in the future or as a condition.
- וּבָנָ֞ה (u-vanah) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “(and) builds”; Notes: Indicates a completed action or certainty in a conditional statement.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “[the]”; Notes: Marks the direct object.
- הָעִ֤יר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Yeriḥo.
- הַזֹּאת֙ (ha-zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the city being referred to.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “[the]”; Notes: Marks the direct object.
- יְרִיחֹ֔ו (Yeriḥo) – Root: ירח (yareḥ); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Yeriḥo”; Notes: Refers to the city of Jericho.
- בִּבְכֹרֹ֣ו (bi-vkoro) – Root: בכור (b’khor); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with his firstborn”; Notes: Indicates the price or consequence of the building.
- יְיַסְּדֶ֔נָּה (yeyassdennah) – Root: יסד (yasad); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + paragogic nun + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “he shall lay its foundation”; Notes: Intensive form indicating deliberate action.
- וּבִצְעִירֹ֖ו (u-vi-tseʿiro) – Root: צעיר (tsaʿir); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and with his youngest”; Notes: Refers to the youngest son.
- יַצִּ֥יב (yatstiv) – Root: יצב (yatsav); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall set up”; Notes: Causative form.
- דְּלָתֶֽיהָ (delateha) – Root: דלת (delet); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “its gates”; Notes: Refers to the city’s gates.