Zechariah 4:4

וָאַ֨עַן֙ וָֽאֹמַ֔ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי׃

And I answered and I said to the messenger who is speaking with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Morphology

1. וָאַעַן (va-aʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person singular; Translation: “And I answered”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s response.
2. וָאֹמַר (va-omar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person singular; Translation: “and I said”; Notes: Continues the report of speech.
3. אֶל (el) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the addressee.
4. הַמַּלְאָךְ (ha-malʾakh) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the messenger”; Notes: Refers to the angelic interpreter.
5. הַדֹּבֵר (ha-dover) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Definite participle Qal masculine singular; Translation: “the one speaking”; Notes: Identifies the messenger by action.
6. בִּי (bi) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Indicates the angel’s direct communication.
7. לֵאמֹר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Standard Hebrew narrative formula introducing speech.
8. מָה (mah) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Begins the prophet’s question.
9. אֵלֶּה (elleh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the visionary objects.
10. אֲדֹנִי (adoní) – Root: אדן (adon); Form: Noun masculine singular with suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: A respectful address, not the divine name.