וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּעֹ֗ור פְּ֠תֹורָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֖ו לִקְרֹא־לֹ֑ו לֵאמֹ֗ר הִ֠נֵּה עַ֣ם יָצָ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ הִנֵּ֤ה כִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב מִמֻּלִֽי׃
And he sent messengers to Bilʿam, son of Beʿor, to Petora, which is by the river, in the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Mitsrayim. Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they dwell opposite me.
Morphology
- וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח (vayishlach) – Root: שלח (shalach); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he sent”; Notes: Refers to Balak sending messengers.
- מַלְאָכִ֜ים (mal’akhim) – Root: מלאך (mal’akh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “messengers”; Notes: Refers to the individuals sent by Balak.
- אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם (el-Bilʿam) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Bilʿam”; Notes: The recipient of the message.
- בֶּן־בְּעֹ֗ור (ben-Beʿor) – Root: בער (beʿer); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “son of Beʿor”; Notes: Indicates Bilʿam’s lineage.
- פְּ֠תֹורָה (Petorah) – Root: פתר (patar); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Petorah”; Notes: The location of Bilʿam.
- אֲשֶׁ֧ר (asher) – Root: אשׁר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a clause describing Petorah.
- עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר (al-hanahar) – Root: נהר (nahar); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “by the river”; Notes: Likely refers to the Euphrates River.
- אֶ֥רֶץ (eretz) – Root: ארץ (eretz); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Refers to the region where Petorah is located.
- בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֖ו (benei-amo) – Root: עם (am); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “the children of his people”; Notes: Refers to Balak’s kin.
- לִקְרֹא־לֹ֑ו (likro-lo) – Root: קרא (kara); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition and 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to call him”; Notes: Indicates the purpose of sending messengers.
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (le’emor) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces Balak’s message.
- הִ֠נֵּה (hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the statement.
- עַ֣ם (am) – Root: עם (am); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a people”; Notes: Refers to Yisra’el.
- יָצָ֤א (yatza) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has come out”; Notes: Refers to Yisra’el’s exodus from Mitsrayim.
- מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ (miMitsrayim) – Root: מצר (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “from Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- הִנֵּ֤ה (hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Emphasizes the following statement.
- כִסָּה֙ (kissa) – Root: כסה (kasa); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it has covered”; Notes: Describes the extent of Yisra’el’s presence.
- אֶת־עֵ֣ין (et-ein) – Root: עין (ayin); Form: Direct object marker with noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “the face of”; Notes: Refers to the surface of the land.
- הָאָ֔רֶץ (ha’aretz) – Root: ארץ (eretz); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Refers to the land around Mo’av.
- וְה֥וּא (vehu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “and they”; Notes: Refers to Yisra’el.
- יֹשֵׁ֖ב (yoshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “dwells”; Notes: Describes Yisra’el’s encampment.
- מִמֻּלִֽי׃ (mimmuli) – Root: מול (mul); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular construct and 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “opposite me”; Notes: Indicates proximity to Mo’av.