וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֥יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה נַעֲלֶה֒ וְאִם־מֵימֶ֤יךָ נִשְׁתֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י וּמִקְנַ֔י וְנָתַתִּ֖י מִכְרָ֑ם רַ֥ק אֵין־דָּבָ֖ר בְּרַגְלַ֥י אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃
And the children of Yisra’el said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay its price. Only let me pass through on foot, nothing more.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ (vayyo’mru) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the response of the children of Yisra’el.
- אֵלָ֥יו (elav) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Indicates the direction of their speech.
- בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ (bene-Yisra’el) – Root: בן (ben) and שׂרה (sarah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the children of Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה (bammessilah) – Root: מסלה (mesillah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “by the highway”; Notes: Refers to the main road.
- נַעֲלֶה֒ (na’aleh) – Root: עלה (alah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “We will go up”; Notes: Describes their intent to travel along the highway.
- וְאִם־מֵימֶ֤יךָ (ve’im-meimekha) – Root: מים (mayim); Form: Conjunction with noun, masculine plural construct and 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and if your water”; Notes: Refers to the water owned by Edom.
- נִשְׁתֶּה֙ (nishteh) – Root: שתה (shatah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we drink”; Notes: Describes the potential use of Edom’s water.
- אֲנִ֣י (ani) – Root: אנ (an); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to the speaker.
- וּמִקְנַ֔י (umiqnay) – Root: מקנה (miqneh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and my livestock”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s animals.
- וְנָתַתִּ֖י (venatatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then I will give”; Notes: Indicates willingness to compensate for the water.
- מִכְרָ֑ם (michram) – Root: מכר (makar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “its price”; Notes: Refers to payment for the water.
- רַ֥ק (raq) – Root: רק (raq); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Only”; Notes: Restricts the request to passing through the land.
- אֵין־דָּבָ֖ר (ein-davar) – Root: אין (ein) and דבר (davar); Form: Negative particle with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “nothing”; Notes: Emphasizes that no other harm will be caused.
- בְּרַגְלַ֥י (beraglay) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Noun, feminine dual with 1st person singular suffix and preposition; Translation: “on foot”; Notes: Indicates their mode of travel.
- אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃ (e’evorah) – Root: עבר (avar); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person singular; Translation: “let me pass”; Notes: A polite request to traverse the land.