וַתִּרְאַ֨נִי֙ הָֽאָתֹ֔ון וַתֵּ֣ט לְפָנַ֔י זֶ֖ה שָׁלֹ֣שׁ רְגָלִ֑ים אוּלַי֙ נָטְתָ֣ה מִפָּנַ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֛ה גַּם־אֹתְכָ֥ה הָרַ֖גְתִּי וְאֹותָ֥הּ הֶחֱיֵֽיתִי׃
The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside, I would have killed you by now, but I let her live.”
Morphology
- וַתִּרְאַ֨נִי֙ (vatirʾani) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix and vav-consecutive; Translation: “She saw me”; Notes: Refers to the donkey perceiving the angel.
- הָֽאָתֹ֔ון (haʾaton) – Root: אתן (aton); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the donkey”; Notes: Subject of the action.
- וַתֵּ֣ט (vatet) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and she turned aside”; Notes: Describes the donkey’s action.
- לְפָנַ֔י (lefanai) – Root: פני (panim); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “before me”; Notes: Indicates the donkey’s position.
- זֶ֖ה (zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the specific instances.
- שָׁלֹ֣שׁ (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 the three occasions.
- אוּלַי֙ (ʾulai) – Root: אולי (ʾulai); Form: Particle of possibility; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: Introduces a conditional statement.
- נָטְתָ֣ה (natetah) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she had turned aside”; Notes: Refers to the donkey’s action.
- מִפָּנַ֔י (mippanai) – Root: פני (panim); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from before me”; Notes: Indicates avoidance of the angel.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- עַתָּ֛ה (attah) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Indicates immediacy.
- גַּם־אֹתְכָ֥ה (gam-ʾotkha) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “even you”; Notes: Emphasizes Bilʿam.
- הָרַ֖גְתִּי (haragti) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I would have killed”; Notes: Indicates what the angel could have done.
- וְאֹותָ֥הּ (veʾotah) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Object marker with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “but her”; Notes: Refers to the donkey.
- הֶחֱיֵֽיתִי׃ (heḥeyiti) – Root: חיה (chayah); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I let live”; Notes: Indicates sparing the donkey.