וַיֹּוצִ֜יאוּ דִּבַּ֤ת הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֩ר עָבַ֨רְנוּ בָ֜הּ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֗הּ אֶ֣רֶץ אֹכֶ֤לֶת יֹושְׁבֶ֨יהָ֙ הִ֔וא וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ בְתֹוכָ֖הּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִדֹּֽות׃
And they brought forth an evil report about the land which they had explored to the children of Yisra’el, saying, “The land through which we passed to explore it is a land that consumes its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
Morphology
- וַיֹּוצִ֜יאוּ (vayotziʾu) – Root: יצא (y-ts-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they brought forth”; Notes: Indicates the spies’ action of reporting.
- דִּבַּ֤ת (dibbat) – Root: דבה (d-b-h); Form: Feminine singular construct noun; Translation: “An evil report”; Notes: Conveys a negative or slanderous account.
- הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ (haʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Definite article + feminine singular noun; Translation: “The land”; Notes: Refers to the land of Kenaʿan.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Particle; Translation: “Which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause.
- תָּר֣וּ (taru) – Root: תור (t-w-r); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “They explored”; Notes: Refers to the spies’ exploration.
- אֹתָ֔הּ (otah) – Root: אות (ʾ-w-t); Form: Direct object marker + 3rd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “It”; Notes: Refers to the land.
- אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י (ʾel-bene) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Preposition + masculine plural construct noun; Translation: “To the children of”; Notes: Refers to Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yisraʾel) – Root: שרי (ś-r-y); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Yisra’el.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הָאָ֡רֶץ (haʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Definite article + feminine singular noun; Translation: “The land”; Notes: Repeats the reference to Kenaʿan.
- אֲשֶׁ֩ר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Particle; Translation: “Which”; Notes: Introduces another relative clause.
- עָבַ֨רְנוּ (ʿavarnu) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “We passed through”; Notes: Refers to the spies’ journey.
- בָ֜הּ (vah) – Root: ב (b); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “In it”; Notes: Refers to the land.
- לָת֣וּר (latur) – Root: תור (t-w-r); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “To explore”; Notes: Purpose of their mission.
- אֶ֣רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Feminine singular noun; Translation: “A land”; Notes: Describes the character of the land.
- אֹכֶ֤לֶת (ʾoḵelet) – Root: אכל (ʾ-k-l); Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “Consumes”; Notes: Indicates a consuming nature.
- יֹושְׁבֶ֨יהָ֙ (yosheveha) – Root: ישב (y-sh-v); Form: Qal participle masculine plural + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “Its inhabitants”; Notes: Refers to the people living in the land.
- הִ֔וא (hi) – Root: Pronoun; Form: 3rd person feminine singular pronoun; Translation: “It”; Notes: Refers back to the land.
- וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם (vechol-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Conjunction + definite article + masculine singular noun; Translation: “And all the people”; Notes: Refers to the land’s population.
- אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֥ינוּ (asher-raʾinu) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “Whom we saw”; Notes: Refers to their observations.
- בְתֹוכָ֖הּ (betocha) – Root: תוך (t-w-kh); Form: Preposition + feminine singular suffix; Translation: “In it”; Notes: Refers to the interior of the land.
- אַנְשֵׁ֥י (anshei) – Root: אנש (ʾ-n-sh); Form: Masculine plural construct noun; Translation: “Men of”; Notes: Indicates the nature or character of the people.
- מִדֹּֽות (middot) – Root: מידה (m-d-h); Form: Feminine plural noun; Translation: “Great stature” or “measure”; Notes: Describes the remarkable size or attributes of the inhabitants.