וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֥ן גָּוַ֛עְנוּ אָבַ֖דְנוּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ אָבָֽדְנוּ׃
And the children of Yisra’el said to Moshe, saying, “Behold, we have perished, we are lost, we are all lost.
Morphology
- וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (vayyoʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Indicates the continuation of speech in narrative.
- בְּנֵ֣י (benei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “Children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants or members of a group.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisra’el) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Singular; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה (el-Moshe) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + singular noun; Translation: “To Moshe”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the speech.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הֵ֥ן (hen) – Root: הן (h-n); Form: Particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the following statement.
- גָּוַ֛עְנוּ (gavanu) – Root: גוע (g-w-ʿ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “We have perished”; Notes: Indicates their perceived state of destruction.
- אָבַ֖דְנוּ (avadnu) – Root: אבד (ʾ-v-d); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “We are lost”; Notes: Emphasizes their sense of despair.
- כֻּלָּ֥נוּ (kullanu) – Root: כלל (k-l-l); Form: Noun masculine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “All of us”; Notes: Expresses collective inclusion.
- אָבָֽדְנוּ (avadnu) – Root: אבד (ʾ-v-d); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “We are lost”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis on their hopeless state.