וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם אֶל־בָּלָ֗ק הִֽנֵּה־בָ֨אתִי֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ עַתָּ֕ה הֲיָכֹ֥ול אוּכַ֖ל דַּבֵּ֣ר מְא֑וּמָה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָשִׂ֧ים אֱלֹהִ֛ים בְּפִ֖י אֹתֹ֥ו אֲדַבֵּֽר׃
And Bilʿam said to Balaq, “Behold, I have come to you. Now, am I able to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Bilʿam speaking to Balak.
- בִּלְעָ֜ם (Bilʿam) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Bilʿam”; Notes: The prophet summoned by Balak.
- אֶל־בָּלָ֗ק (el-Balak) – Root: בלק (Balak); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Balak”; Notes: The king of Moab.
- הִֽנֵּה־בָ֨אתִי֙ (hinneh-bati) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Particle of presence with Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “Behold, I have come”; Notes: Indicates arrival.
- אֵלֶ֔יךָ (elekha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Balak as the recipient.
- עַתָּ֕ה (ʿattah) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Indicates the present moment.
- הֲיָכֹ֥ול (hayakhol) – Root: יכל (yakhol); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am I able”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- אוּכַ֖ל (ʾukhal) – Root: יכל (yakhol); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: Expresses capability.
- דַּבֵּ֣ר (dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: Refers to the act of speaking.
- מְא֑וּמָה (meʾumah) – Root: אום (ʾum); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Refers to any matter.
- הַדָּבָ֗ר (haddavar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The word”; Notes: Refers to the message from Elohim.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- יָשִׂ֧ים (yasim) – Root: שים (sim); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He puts”; Notes: Refers to Elohim placing the word.
- אֱלֹהִ֛ים (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Elohim”; Notes: Refers to God.
- בְּפִ֖י (befi) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Preposition with noun, singular construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “in my mouth”; Notes: Indicates the source of the message.
- אֹתֹ֥ו (oto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Object marker with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the specific word.
- אֲדַבֵּֽר׃ (adabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I shall speak”; Notes: Indicates Bilʿam’s commitment to speak only what Elohim commands.