וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה חָלָ֕ה בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בַּעֲלַ֣ת הַבָּ֑יִת וַיְהִ֤י חָלְיוֹ֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־נֽוֹתְרָה־בּ֖וֹ נְשָׁמָֽה׃
Or avvenne che, dopo queste cose, il figlio della donna, la padrona di casa, si ammalò; e la sua malattia fu così grave che in lui non rimase più alito di vita.
Guide for the Perplexed
Mavet signifies “death” and “severe illness,” as in “His heart died (va-yamot) within him, and he became as a stone” (1 Sam. 25:37), that is, his illness was severe. For this reason it is stated concerning the son of the woman of Zarephath, “And his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him” (1 Kings 17:17). The simple expression va-yamoth would have given the idea that he was very ill, near death, like Nabal when he heard what had taken place.