וְאֶת־מַקֵּדָה֩ לָכַ֨ד יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא וַיַּכֶּ֣הָ לְפִי־חֶרֶב֮ וְאֶת־מַלְכָּהּ֒ הֶחֱרִ֣ם אֹותָ֗ם וְאֶת־כָּל־הַנֶּ֨פֶשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א הִשְׁאִ֖יר שָׂרִ֑יד וַיַּ֨עַשׂ֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מַקֵּדָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְמֶ֥לֶךְ יְרִיחֹֽו׃
(Joshua 10:28)
And Maqqedah Yehoshua captured on that day, and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king he devoted to destruction—he and every person that was in it; he left no survivor, and he did to the king of Maqqedah just as he had done to the king of Yerikho.
This verse comes from a historical narrative describing Yehoshua’s campaign in the land. Hebrew storytelling often moves forward through a chain of verbs, each one pushing the story to the next action.
You will see this pattern clearly in this verse.
The Big Pattern of the Sentence
If we step back and look at the structure, the verse moves like this:
- Capture of the city
- Destruction of the inhabitants
- Statement that no one survived
- Comparison to a previous event
Hebrew narrative loves this rhythm:
Action → Action → Result → Comparison
Much of this motion comes from verbs that begin with the letter ו (“and”).
Breaking Down the Sentence Piece by Piece
| Hebrew Word | Meaning | Word Type | Grammar Clue | Role in the Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־מַקֵּדָה | And Maqqedah | Direct object phrase | אֶת marks the direct object | The city being conquered |
| לָכַד | captured | Verb | Qal perfect, 3rd masculine singular | Main action of the verse |
| יְהֹושֻׁעַ | Yehoshua | Proper noun | Name of the leader of Yisraʾel | The subject performing the action |
| בַּיֹּום | on the day | Prepositional phrase | בְּ = in/on + definite article | Time reference |
| הַהוּא | that | Demonstrative adjective | Points to a specific day | Clarifies the time |
| וַיַּכֶּהָ | and he struck it | Verb | Wayyiqtol narrative form | Next action in the story |
| לְפִי־חֶרֶב | with the edge of the sword | Prepositional phrase | לְפִי literally “to the mouth of” | Describes how the attack happened |
| וְאֶת־מַלְכָּהּ | and its king | Noun phrase | -הּ = “its” | Additional object |
| הֶחֱרִם | devoted to destruction | Verb | Hiphil perfect from חרם | Describes total destruction |
| אֹותָם | them | Pronoun | Plural object | Refers to the inhabitants |
| וְאֶת־כָּל־הַנֶּפֶשׁ | and every person | Noun phrase | כָּל = all | Expands the scope |
| אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ | who was in it | Relative clause | אֲשֶׁר = who/that | Describes the inhabitants |
| לֹא | not | Negative particle | Negates the verb | Denies survival |
| הִשְׁאִיר | he left | Verb | Hiphil perfect | Describes the result |
| שָׂרִיד | survivor | Noun | Means “remaining person” | Shows total destruction |
| וַיַּעַשׂ | and he did | Verb | Wayyiqtol narrative verb | Introduces comparison |
| לְמֶלֶךְ מַקֵּדָה | to the king of Maqqedah | Prepositional phrase | לְ = to | Identifies the object of the action |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר | just as | Conjunction | Introduces comparison | Connects with earlier story |
| עָשָׂה | he had done | Verb | Qal perfect | Reference to previous event |
| לְמֶלֶךְ יְרִיחֹו | to the king of Yerikho | Prepositional phrase | Historical comparison | Links back to Joshua 6 |
Important Grammar Ideas in This Verse
1. The Narrative Verb Pattern
Several verbs begin with וַ:
- וַיַּכֶּהָ
- וַיַּעַשׂ
This pattern is common in Biblical storytelling. It moves the story forward step by step.
Think of it like a chain:
“and he did this… and he did this… and he did this…”
2. The Direct Object Marker אֶת
Hebrew often marks a definite object with אֶת.
Examples in this verse:
- אֶת־מַקֵּדָה
- אֶת־מַלְכָּהּ
- אֶת־כָּל־הַנֶּפֶשׁ
It does not translate into English but helps us identify what receives the action.
3. Relative Clauses with אֲשֶׁר
The word אֲשֶׁר means “who” or “that.”
Example:
אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ
“who was in it.”
This connects additional information to a noun.
Tips for Beginning Hebrew Readers
- Watch for the marker אֶת. It tells you what receives the action.
- Repeated וַ verbs often indicate storytelling.
- Relative clauses begin with אֲשֶׁר.
- Hebrew narratives often link events with many “and” connectors.
How Hebrew Storytelling Builds Momentum
In this verse, the grammar itself creates movement.
One action leads to another:
- Yehoshua captured the city
- He struck it
- He devoted it to destruction
- No survivor remained
- He treated its king like the king of Yerikho
By learning how these verbs connect, you begin to see how Biblical Hebrew tells stories—not just through vocabulary, but through rhythm and structure.
