וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה עַל־מָ֗ה הִכִּ֨יתָ֙ אֶת־אֲתֹ֣נְךָ֔ זֶ֖ה שָׁלֹ֣ושׁ רְגָלִ֑ים הִנֵּ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ יָצָ֣אתִי לְשָׂטָ֔ן כִּֽי־יָרַ֥ט הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃
And the angel of YHWH said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way is reckless before me.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to the angel of YHWH speaking.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Bilʿam.
- מַלְאַ֣ךְ (malʾakh) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “angel”; Notes: Refers to the divine messenger.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name.
- עַל־מָ֗ה (ʿal-mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative with preposition; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- הִכִּ֨יתָ (hikkita) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “have you struck”; Notes: Refers to Bilʿam’s action.
- אֶת־אֲתֹ֣נְךָ֔ (et-atonkha) – Root: אתן (aton); Form: Noun, feminine singular with object marker and 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your donkey”; Notes: Direct object of the verb.
- זֶ֖ה (zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the specific instances.
- שָׁלֹ֣ושׁ (shalosh) – Root: שלש (shalosh); Form: Cardinal number, feminine singular; Translation: “three”; Notes: Indicates the number of times.
- רְגָלִ֑ים (regalim) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “times”; Notes: Refers to occurrences of striking.
- הִנֵּ֤ה (hinneh) – Root: נה (neh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention.
- אָנֹכִי֙ (anokhi) – Root: אנכ (anokh); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to the angel.
- יָצָ֣אתִי (yatsati) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “have come out”; Notes: Refers to the angel’s appearance.
- לְשָׂטָ֔ן (lesatan) – Root: שטן (satan); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “as an adversary”; Notes: Indicates the angel’s role.
- כִּֽי־יָרַ֥ט (ki-yarat) – Root: ירט (yirat); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “because is reckless”; Notes: Explains the angel’s intervention.
- הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ (haderekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the way”; Notes: Refers to Bilʿam’s path.
- לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃ (lenegdi) – Root: נגד (neged); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before me”; Notes: Indicates opposition.