וַ֠יַּעַן הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּי֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הֲלֹ֥וא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־הֵ֣מָּה אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃
And the messenger answered, the one speaking with me, and he said to me, “Have you not known what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן (va-yaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces the angel’s response.
- הַמַּלְאָךְ (ha-malʾakh) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the messenger”; Notes: Specifies the responding figure.
- הַדֹּבֵר (ha-dover) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Definite Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “the one speaking”; Notes: Identifies the messenger by active role.
- בִּי (bi) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Marks ongoing communication.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces further speech.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Identifies the addressee of the speech.
- הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Have … not?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
- יָדַעְתָּ (yadata) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have known”; Notes: Expresses expected prior knowledge.
- מָה (mah) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces the content of knowledge.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Refers to the visionary figures.
- אֵלֶּה (elleh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the subject of inquiry.
- וָאֹמַר (va-omar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person singular; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: Reports the prophet’s reply.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “no”; Notes: Denies knowledge.
- אֲדֹנִי (adoní) – Root: אדן (adon); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: A respectful address to the messenger.