May 09 2006

1 Samuel 6:4-8

Published by at 3:50 pm under Grammar,Samuel

 וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָ֣ה הָאָשָׁם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָשִׁ֣יב לוֹ֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מִסְפַּר֙ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֲמִשָּׁה֙ [עָפְלֵי] זָהָ֔ב וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה עַכְבְּרֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב כִּֽי־מַגֵּפָ֥ה אַחַ֛ת לְכֻלָּ֖ם וּלְסַרְנֵיכֶֽם׃ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֩ צַלְמֵ֨י [עָפְלֵיכֶם] וְצַלְמֵ֣י עַכְבְּרֵיכֶ֗ם הַמַּשְׁחִיתִם֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּנְתַתֶּ֛ם לֵאלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּב֑וֹד אוּלַ֗י יָקֵ֤ל אֶת־יָדוֹ֙ מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וּמֵעַ֥ל אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם וּמֵעַ֥ל אַרְצְכֶֽם׃ וְלָ֤מָּה תְכַבְּדוּ֙ אֶת־לְבַבְכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר כִּבְּד֛וּ מִצְרַ֥יִם וּפַרְעֹ֖ה אֶת־לִבָּ֑ם הֲלוֹא֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְעַלֵּ֣ל בָּהֶ֔ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּם וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃ וְעַתָּ֗ה קְח֨וּ וַעֲשׂ֜וּ עֲגָלָ֤ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ אֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּ֤י פָרוֹת֙ עָל֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עֹ֑ל וַאֲסַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־הַפָּרוֹת֙ בָּעֲגָלָ֔ה וַהֲשֵׁיבֹתֶ֧ם בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם הַבָּֽיְתָה׃ וּלְקַחְתֶּ֞ם אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן יְהוָ֗ה וּנְתַתֶּ֤ם אֹתוֹ֙ אֶל־הָ֣עֲגָלָ֔ה וְאֵ֣ת ׀ כְּלֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֗ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֲשֵׁבֹתֶ֥ם לוֹ֙ אָשָׁ֔ם תָּשִׂ֥ימוּ בָאַרְגַּ֖ז מִצִּדּ֑וֹ וְשִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ וְהָלָֽךְ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 4

            אשׁם  “trespass offering” (BDB, 79)

            סרן  “lord” (BDB, 710)

            עפל  “hemorrhoid” (BDB, 779)

            עכבר  “mouse” (BDB, 747)

            מגפה  “plague” (BDB, 620)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

  • The verbless clause, מָ֣ה הָאָשָׁם֮, is the interrogative question of the people.
  • The fronted phrase, מִסְפַּר֙ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים, is functioning adverbially “as the number of the lords of the Philistines” or “according to the number.”
  • Qere: טְחֹרֵ֣י.  The story continues to vacillate between these two nouns for tumors (עפל and טחור).
  • The construct phrase, עַכְבְּרֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב, indicates composition: “the mice made of gold.”
  • The final כִּי clause explains the reason for this particular gift.  It is probably not part of the quotation, but a narrative comment.

Vocabulary

Verse 5

            צלם  “image” (BDB, 853)

            עפל  “hemorrhoid” (BDB, 779)

            עכבר  “mouse” (BDB, 747)

            שׁחת  verb (Hiphil participle mpl w/ definite article): “spoil, ruin”

            אולי  “perhaps” (BDB, 19)

            קלל  verb (Hiphil perfect 3ms): “lighten”

Verse 6

            כבד  verb (Piel imperfect 2mpl): “make hard, insensitive”

             עלל  verb: “deal ruthlessly” (BDB, 759)

Verse 7

            עגלה  noun: “cart” (BDB, 722)

        חדשׁ  adjective: “new”

            פרה  “cow” (BDB, 831)

            עול  verb (Qal participle fpl): “give suck” (BDB, 732)

            על  “yoke” (BDB, 760)

            אסר  verb: “bind, tie”

Verse 8

            עגלה  noun: “cart” (BDB, 722)

            כלי  “articles, vessels”

            אשׁם  “trespass offering” (BDB, 79)

            ערגז  “box” (BDB, 841)

            צד  “side”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 5

  • Qere: טְחֹרֵיכֶ֜ם.
  • The substantival participle, הַמַּשְׁחִיתִם֙, is modifying the tumors.

Verse 6

  • The clause, הֲלוֹא֙, does not have an extant verb, but an implied one.  The verb is gapped from the following phrase, הִתְעַלֵּ֣ל בָּהֶ֔ם; thus it should be understood as הֲלוֹא יִתְעַלַּל בָּכֶם “Will he not deal with you as he dealt with them?

Verse 7

  • The participle, עָל֔וֹת “suckling,” is functioning as an adjective.
  • The final he, הַבָּֽיְתָה, is a directional he “to the house.”

Verse 8

  • The verb, וּנְתַתֶּ֤ם, has a compound direct object, אֹתוֹ֙ and וְאֵ֣ת כְּלֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֗ב.
  • The final two verbs, וְשִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם וְהָלָֽךְ, are exactly the same as the final verbs of verse six, וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּם וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ.
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