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 וַיָּ֤רָץ אִישׁ־בִּנְיָמִן֙ מֵהַמַּ֣עֲרָכָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א שִׁלֹ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וּמַדָּ֣יו קְרֻעִ֔ים וַאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ 13 וַיָּב֗וֹא וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵ֠לִי יֹשֵׁ֨ב עַֽל־הַכִּסֵּ֜א [יַךְ] דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ מְצַפֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־הָיָ֤ה לִבּוֹ֙ חָרֵ֔ד עַ֖ל אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְהָאִ֗ישׁ בָּ֚א לְהַגִּ֣יד בָּעִ֔יר וַתִּזְעַ֖ק כָּל־הָעִֽיר׃ 14 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע עֵלִי֙ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַצְּעָקָ֔ה וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מֶ֛ה ק֥וֹל הֶהָמ֖וֹן הַזֶּ֑ה וְהָאִ֣ישׁ מִהַ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֖א וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לְעֵלִֽי׃ 15 וְעֵלִ֕י בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנֶ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה וְעֵינָ֣יו קָ֔מָה וְלֹ֥א יָכ֖וֹל לִרְאֽוֹת׃ 16 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָאִ֜ישׁ אֶל־עֵלִ֗י אָֽנֹכִי֙ הַבָּ֣א מִן־הַמַּעֲרָכָ֔ה וַאֲנִ֕י מִן־הַמַּעֲרָכָ֖ה נַ֣סְתִּי הַיּ֑וֹם וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מֶֽה־הָיָ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּנִֽי׃ 17 וַיַּ֨עַן הַֽמְבַשֵּׂ֜ר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָ֤ס יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לִפְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְגַ֛ם מַגֵּפָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה הָיְתָ֣ה בָעָ֑ם וְגַם־שְׁנֵ֨י בָנֶ֜יךָ מֵ֗תוּ חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣ינְחָ֔ס וַאֲר֥וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים נִלְקָֽחָה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            בנימן  name: “Benjamin (son of right hand)”

            מערכה  “battle line” (BDB, 790)

        שׁלה  name: “Shiloh”

            מד  “garment” (BDB, 551)

            קרע  verb (Qal passive participle mpl): “tear, rend”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The word מֵהַמַּ֣עֲרָכָ֔ה is a compound of מִן (preposition “from”) + הַ ּ (article) + מערכה (noun).  The dagesh in the second mem is from the article; while the lengthening of the hireq to sere with the first mem is caused by compensatory lengthening (because he cannot be doubled).
• The disjunctive waw, וּמַדָּ֣יו, marks a parenthetical comment descriptive of the Benjamini.
• The verbless clauses are of the form S-P.

Vocabulary

Verse 13

            עלי  name: “Eli”

            צפה  verb (Piel participle ms): “keep watch” (BDB, 859)

            חרד  adjective: “trembling” (BDB, 353)

Verse 14

            צעקה  “cry of distress” (BDB, 858)

            חמון  “murmuring”

            מהר  verb (Piel perfect 3ms): “hasten” (not הַר + מִן)

Verse 15

            קום  verb: “stand,

Verse 16

            מערכה  “battle line” (BDB, 790)

Verse 17

            מבשֹר  verb (Piel participle ms with article): “bearer of tidings” (BDB, 142)

            פלשׁית  name: “Philistines”

            מגפה  noun: “slaughter” (BDB, 620)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 13

• The clause, עֵ֠לִי יֹשֵׁ֨ב עַֽל־הַכִּסֵּ֜א, is periphrastic and omits the verb היה.
• Qere: יַ֥ד.  The confusion of final ך and ד would have occurred after adopting the square script as prior scripts were much less similar (cf. GKC Alphabet Chart or DH Paleo-Hebrew Chart).  The Qere helps to understand this obscure text.  The expression, יַד דֶּרֶךְ, is an idiom meaning “beside the way” (cf. 2 Samuel 15:2; Ezekiel 48:1).
• The final verb, וַתִּזְעַ֖ק, is feminine singular because the subject is the feminine singular noun עיר “city.”

Verse 14

• The verbless clause, מֶ֛ה ק֥וֹל הֶהָמ֖וֹן הַזֶּ֑ה, is an interrogative.
• In the three member noun phrase, ק֥וֹל הֶהָמ֖וֹן הַזֶּ֑ה, the first two elements are in construct and the demonstrative modifies the second element (i.e. it agrees in gender, number and definiteness).
• The repetition of בוא serves to heighten Eli’s anticipation of word about the ark (and his sons) while waiting for the news.

Verse 15

• The initial clause is the common Hebrew idiom for age.  “Eli was a son of ninety and eight years” is to say that he was 98 years old.
• The waw disjunctive, וְעֵינָ֣יו קָ֔מָה, marks a parenthetical comment.
• The dual construct for of וְעֵינָ֣יו can take a plural (Genesis 29:17) or singular verbal form (Micah 4:11); the later is used in this context (GKC 145 k, n).
• The idiom “his eyes were fixed (set)” is used elsewhere of blindness or poor eyesight in 1 Kings 14:4 לֹֽא־יָכֹ֣ל לִרְא֔וֹת כִּ֛י קָ֥מוּ עֵינָ֖יו (see note above concerning the plural verb with a dual subject or GKC 88a).
• The result clause, וְלֹ֥א יָכ֖וֹל לִרְאֽוֹת, is marked by the conjunction waw.

Verse 16

• The participle, הַבָּ֣א, is a substantive.
• The article with יום is “today” or “this day.”
• The narrative continues to heighten the angst through the messenger’s repetition (see note on verse 14 above).
• The noun, בְּנִֽי, is a vocative “o my son.”

Verse 17

• The noun phrase, שְׁנֵ֨י בָנֶ֜יךָ, is fronted for emphasis.
• The final Niphal verb, נִלְקָֽחָה, has a passive sense “it was taken.”

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