וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹואָ֜ב אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֗ן עַתָּ֞ה יְלַחֲכ֤וּ הַקָּהָל֙ אֶת־כָּל־סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כִּלְחֹ֣ךְ הַשֹּׁ֔ור אֵ֖ת יֶ֣רֶק הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּבָלָ֧ק בֶּן־צִפֹּ֛ור מֶ֥לֶךְ לְמֹואָ֖ב בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא׃
And Mo’av said to the elders of Midyan, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the green of the field.” And Balaq, son of Tsippor, was king of Mo’av at that time.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Mo’av speaking.
- מֹואָ֜ב (Mo’av) – Root: מואב (Mo’av); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Mo’av”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Mo’av.
- אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י (el-ziknei) – Root: זקן (zaken); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “to the elders of”; Notes: Indicates those holding wisdom or leadership.
- מִדְיָ֗ן (Midyan) – Root: מדין (Midyan); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Midyan”; Notes: Refers to the Midianite nation.
- עַתָּ֞ה (atah) – Root: עת (et); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Indicates urgency or immediacy.
- יְלַחֲכ֤וּ (yelachechu) – Root: לחך (lachak); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “will lick up”; Notes: Refers to consuming or destroying.
- הַקָּהָל֙ (haqahal) – Root: קהל (qahal); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the assembly”; Notes: Refers to the congregation of Yisra’el.
- אֶת־כָּל־סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּ (et-kol-sevivoteinu) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Direct object marker with noun, feminine plural construct and 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “all that is around us”; Notes: Indicates the surrounding areas.
- כִּלְחֹ֣ךְ (kilchokh) – Root: לחך (lachak); Form: Qal infinitive construct with comparative prefix; Translation: “as licks”; Notes: Compares the action of the assembly to that of an ox.
- הַשֹּׁ֔ור (hashor) – Root: שור (shor); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the ox”; Notes: Used metaphorically for thorough destruction.
- אֵ֖ת יֶ֣רֶק (et-yereq) – Root: ירק (yereq); Form: Direct object marker with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the green”; Notes: Refers to vegetation.
- הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה (hasadeh) – Root: שׂדה (sadeh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “of the field”; Notes: Specifies the location of the vegetation.
- וּבָלָ֧ק (uBalak) – Root: בלק (Balak); Form: Conjunction with proper noun; Translation: “And Balak”; Notes: Refers to the Moabite king.
- בֶּן־צִפֹּ֛ור (ben-Tsippor) – Root: צפר (Tsippor); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “son of Tsippor”; Notes: Indicates lineage.
- מֶ֥לֶךְ (melech) – Root: מלך (melech); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Title of Balak.
- לְמֹואָ֖ב (leMo’av) – Root: מואב (Mo’av); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “of Mo’av”; Notes: Indicates the kingdom he ruled.
- בָּעֵ֥ת (ba’et) – Root: עת (et); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “at the time”; Notes: Refers to the specific moment in history.
- הַהִֽוא׃ (hahi) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Specifies the time mentioned.