וְֽהָלְכ֡וּ יֹשְׁבֵי֩ אַחַ֨ת אֶל־אַחַ֜ת לֵאמֹ֗ר נֵלְכָ֤ה הָלֹוךְ֙ לְחַלֹּות֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּלְבַקֵּ֖שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות אֵלְכָ֖ה גַּם־אָֽנִי׃
And the inhabitants of one shall go to another, saying, “Let us go, going, to entreat the face of YHWH and to seek YHWH of Hosts. I will go, even I.”
Morphology
- וְהָלְכוּ (ve-halkhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with future sense; Translation: “and they shall go”; Notes: Predictive narrative sequence.
- יֹשְׁבֵי (yoshevei) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal active participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “inhabitants of”; Notes: Identifies settled residents.
- אַחַת (ʾaḥat) – Root: —; Form: Numeral feminine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Refers to one city.
- אֶל־אַחַת (ʾel-ʾaḥat) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + numeral feminine singular; Translation: “to another”; Notes: Movement from one city to another.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces quoted speech.
- נֵלְכָה (nelkha) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person common plural; Translation: “let us go”; Notes: Collective exhortation.
- הָלֹוךְ (halokh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “going”; Notes: Intensifies the verbal idea for emphasis.
- לְחַלֹּות (le-ḥallot) – Root: חלה (ḥalah); Form: Preposition לְ + Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to entreat”; Notes: Seeking favor or grace.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks the definite object.
- פְּנֵי (penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “the face of”; Notes: Idiom for presence or favor.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- וּלְבַקֵּשׁ (u-levaqqesh) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition לְ + Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “and to seek”; Notes: Purpose clause coordinated with the previous infinitive.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks the definite object.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes devotion.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Stresses divine sovereignty.
- אֵלְכָה (ʾelkha) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will go”; Notes: Individual commitment added to the collective call.
- גַּם־ (gam) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “also / even”; Notes: Adds emphasis.
- אָֽנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic self-reference.