וַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֹתֹ֥ו אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃
But Bilʿam answered and said to Balaq, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘Whatever YHWH speaks, that I must do’?”
Morphology
- וַיַּ֣עַן (vayyaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces Bilʿam’s response.
- בִּלְעָ֔ם (Bilʿam) – Root: בלעם (Bilʿam); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Bilʿam”; Notes: Refers to the prophet.
- וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Connects Bilʿam’s words to Balaq.
- אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק (ʾel-Balaq) – Root: בלק (Balaq); Form: Preposition with proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to Balaq”; Notes: Refers to the king of Moʾav.
- הֲלֹ֗א (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Did not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי (dibbarti) – Root: דבר (dabar); Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I spoke”; Notes: Emphasizes prior communication.
- אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ (ʾelekha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Directs the speech to Balaq.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces a direct quote.
- כֹּ֛ל (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “All”; Notes: Refers to the entirety of what YHWH commands.
- אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר (ʾasher-yedabber) – Root: דבר (dabar); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “That He speaks”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s instructions.
- יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, representing the divine name.
- אֹתֹ֥ו (ʾoto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the spoken word.
- אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה (eʿeseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will do”; Notes: Expresses Bilʿam’s obedience to YHWH’s commands.