And they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Why,לָמָהYHWH,יְהוָהElohimאֱלֹהֵיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלhas thisזֹּאתhappenedהָיְתָהin Israel,בְּיִשְׂרָאֵלthat there should be missingלְהִפָּקֵדtodayהַיּוֹםfrom Israelמִיִּשְׂרָאֵלoneאֶחָדtribe?”שֵׁבֶט
Judges 21:3
Study it in the app“And they said, “Why, YHWH, Elohim of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that there should be missing today from Israel one tribe?””
With the Hebrew beneath
Judges 21:3, word by word
- And they saidיֹּאמְרוּyomru
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- Elohimאֱלֹהֵיelohe
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohe” appears- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael
Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
Where else “yisrael” appears- happenedהָיְתָהhayta
happen
For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.
Where else “hayta” appears- that there should be missingהִפָּקֵדhipaked
be missing
To find something gone.
Where else “hipaked” appears- todayיּוֹםyom
today
This very day in which one speaks, the present moment.
Where else “yom” appears- oneאֶחָדechad
one
The number one; just one and no more.
Where else “echad” appears- tribeשֵׁבֶטshevet
tribe
Literally "the rod": one of the twelve great clans of Israel.
Where else “shevet” appears
The context
2And the people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before Elohim, and they lifted up their voice and wept with great weeping.
3 · This verse (above)
4And it happened the next day that the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.