בְּיֹום֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֜ה לְעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר חֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ שְׁבָ֔ט בִּשְׁנַ֥ת שְׁתַּ֖יִם לְדָרְיָ֑וֶשׁ הָיָ֣ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה֙ בֶּן־בֶּ֣רֶכְיָ֔הוּ בֶּן־עִדֹּ֥וא הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹֽר׃
On the twenty four day to the eleventh month it is the month Shevat in the second year of Daryavesh the word of YHWH was to Zekharaya son of Berekhyahu son of ʿIddo the prophet saying,
Morphology
- בְּיֹום (be-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Introduces the specific calendar day of the revelation.
- עֶשְׂרִים (esrim) – Root: עשר (ʿeser); Form: Cardinal numeral masculine plural; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: First part of the date expression.
- וְאַרְבָּעָה (ve-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + cardinal numeral masculine singular; Translation: “and four”; Notes: Completes the designation “twenty four.”
- לְעַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂר (le-ashtê-ʿasar) – Root: עשר (ʿeser); Form: Preposition לְ + construct numeral; Translation: “to the eleventh”; Notes: Indicates the ordinal position of the month, the eleventh.
- חֹדֶשׁ (ḥodesh) – Root: חדשׁ (ḥodesh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “month”; Notes: Specifies that the previous numeral refers to a month.
- הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ (hu-ḥodesh) – Root: הוא (hu) for pronoun, חדשׁ (ḥodesh) for noun; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “it is the month”; Notes: Equates the numbered month with its proper name.
- שְׁבָט (Shevat) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shevat”; Notes: Name of the eleventh month in the Hebrew calendar.
- בִּשְׁנַת (bi-shenat) – Root: שׁנה (shanah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “in the year of”; Notes: Introduces the regnal year of the king.
- שְׁתַּיִם (shetayim) – Root: שׁתים (shetayim); Form: Noun feminine dual absolute; Translation: “two”; Notes: Indicates that this is the second year of Daryavesh.
- לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ (le-Daryavesh) – Root: — (proper name); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “of Daryavesh”; Notes: Refers to the Persian king Daryavesh (Darius), whose reign provides the historical setting.
- הָיָה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Standard verb in prophetic headings, presenting the “word of YHWH” as a historical event.
- דְבַר־יְהוָה (devar-YHWH) – Root: דבר (davar) for “word”, יהוה (YHWH) for divine name; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper divine name; Translation: “word of YHWH”; Notes: Fixed prophetic formula identifying the message as originating from YHWH.
- אֶל־זְכַרְיָה (el-Zekharayah) – Root: אל (ʾel) for preposition, זכר (zakhar) for name; Form: Preposition אֶל + proper noun; Translation: “to Zekharayah”; Notes: Marks the prophet Zekharayah as the recipient of YHWH’s word.
- בֶּן־בֶּרֶכְיָהוּ (ben-Berekhyahu) – Root: בן (ben), ברך (barakh); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “son of Berekhyahu”; Notes: Gives paternal lineage of Zekharayah.
- בֶּן־עִדֹּוא (ben-ʿIddo) – Root: בן (ben), עדד (ʿadad); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “son of ʿIddo”; Notes: Extends the genealogy one generation further, linking to a known priestly-prophetic family.
- הַנָּבִיא (ha-navi) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the prophet”; Notes: Appositional title specifying Zekharayah’s office.
- לֵאמֹר (lemor) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Conventional formula introducing the direct speech that follows.