וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה בָּעָ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים וַֽיְנַשְּׁכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיָּ֥מָת עַם־רָ֖ב מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And YHWH sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many people of Yisra’el died.
Morphology
- וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח (vayyishlaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalach); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And He sent”; Notes: Refers to YHWH sending the serpents as a punishment.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
- בָּעָ֗ם (ba’am) – Root: עם (am); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “among the people”; Notes: Indicates where the serpents were sent.
- אֵ֚ת (et) – Root: את (et); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “the”; Notes: Marks the following noun as the object of the verb.
- הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים (haneḥashim) – Root: נחש (naḥash); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “serpents”; Notes: Refers to venomous snakes.
- הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים (haserafim) – Root: שרף (saraf); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “fiery”; Notes: Describes the serpents as burning or venomous.
- וַֽיְנַשְּׁכ֖וּ (vayyenashchu) – Root: נשך (nashach); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and they bit”; Notes: Describes the action of the serpents biting the people.
- אֶת־הָעָ֑ם (et-ha’am) – Root: עם (am); Form: Direct object marker with noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- וַיָּ֥מָת (vayyamat) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Refers to the death of many individuals.
- עַם־רָ֖ב (am-rav) – Root: עם (am) and רב (rav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with adjective; Translation: “many people”; Notes: Indicates a large number of deaths.
- מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (miYisra’el) – Root: שׂרה (sarah); Form: Preposition with proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “from Yisra’el”; Notes: Specifies that the people affected were Israelites.