# וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּחִנָּתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִשְׁפָּטָֽם



## Ali Smith

שלום

כִּֽי־יֵצֵ֨א עַמְּךָ֤ לַמִּלְחָמָה֙ עַל־אֹ֣יְב֔וֹ בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֑ם וְהִתְפַּלְל֣וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֗ה דֶּ֤רֶךְ הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֣רְתָּ בָּ֔הּ וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּנִ֥תִי לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃
וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּחִנָּתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִשְׁפָּטָֽם׃
כִּ֣י יֶחֶטְאוּ־לָ֗ךְ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יֶחֱטָ֔א וְאָנַפְתָּ֣ בָ֔ם וּנְתַתָּ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב וְשָׁב֤וּם שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הָאוֹיֵ֔ב רְחוֹקָ֖ה א֥וֹ קְרוֹבָֽה׃
(מלכים א ח מד)

What does וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּחִנָּתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִשְׁפָּטָֽם mean? In particular, why is there a waw-conversive before שמעת and how does it change its meaning here? The rest is clear:

When your people go out to war against their (lit. its) enemy on the path that you send them and (then) they pray to Y----- toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built to your name,

...the sky their prayer and their supplication and...their judgment

When they sin against you - for there is no man who does not sin - and (then) you become angry with them and (then) you put them in front of an enemy and (then) their captors take them captive to the enemy's land, be it far or near.

אני מודה לכם מאוד


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## Drink

Then you shall hear [in] heaven their prayer and their supplication, and you shall do their judgement.


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## Ali Smith

Thanks! But what is the first verb, שָֽׁמַעְתָּ֙, in sequence with? I mean, what is it following?

Then you shall hear [in] heaven their prayer and their supplication, and then you shall do their judgement.


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## Drink

It's following the previous thing. When your people go out to war, then they shall pray to the L-rd, and then you shall hear, and you shall do.


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## Ali Smith

Thanks. Could the verbs also be translated as imperatives?

So hear [in] heaven their prayer and their supplication and then do their judgement.


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## Drink

You could translate them that way if you want, but that's more a question about English than it is about Hebrew.


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## Ali Smith

Thanks, but how could they possibly be imperatives?


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## Drink

They aren't imperatives. But you can _translate_ them as imperatives. Don't confuse translations with the actual meaning.


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