וְכִרְאֹ֨ות שָׁא֜וּל אֶת־דָּוִ֗ד יֹצֵא֙ לִקְרַ֣את הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔י אָמַ֗ר אֶל־אַבְנֵר֙ שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֔א בֶּן־מִי־זֶ֥ה הַנַּ֖עַר אַבְנֵ֑ר וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְנֵ֔ר חֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֥ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אִם־יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
And when Sha’ul saw David going out to meet the Pelishti, he said to Avner, the commander of the army, “Whose son is this young man, Avner?” And Avner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
Morphology
- וְכִרְאֹ֨ות (ve-khirʾot) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal infinitive construct with conjunction; Translation: “And when seeing”; Notes: Indicates a temporal clause.
- שָׁא֜וּל (Sha’ul) – Root: שאול (Sha’ul); Form: Proper noun, singular; Translation: “Sha’ul”; Notes: The subject of the verb.
- אֶת־דָּוִ֗ד (et-David) – Root: דוד (David); Form: Proper noun, singular; Translation: “David”; Notes: The direct object of the verb.
- יֹצֵא֙ (yotsei) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “going out”; Notes: Describes an ongoing action.
- לִקְרַ֣את (liqrat) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Preposition with infinitive construct; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Indicates purpose.
- הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔י (ha-Pelishti) – Root: פלש (palesh); Form: Proper noun, singular with definite article; Translation: “the Pelishti”; Notes: Refers to Golyat.
- אָמַ֗ר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he said”; Notes: The main verb of the clause.
- אֶל־אַבְנֵר֙ (el-Avner) – Root: אבנר (Avner); Form: Proper noun, singular with preposition; Translation: “to Avner”; Notes: The recipient of the speech.
- שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֔א (sar ha-tsavaʾ) – Root: שר (sar), צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “commander of the army”; Notes: Title of Avner.
- בֶּן־מִי־זֶ֥ה (ben-mi-zeh) – Root: בן (ben), מי (mi), זה (zeh); Form: Interrogative phrase; Translation: “Whose son is this”; Notes: Inquiry about David’s lineage.
- הַנַּ֖עַר (ha-naʿar) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the young man”; Notes: Describes David.
- אַבְנֵ֑ר (Avner) – Root: אבנר (Avner); Form: Proper noun, singular; Translation: “Avner”; Notes: Addressed directly.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Avner’s response.
- אַבְנֵ֔ר (Avner) – Root: אבנר (Avner); Form: Proper noun, singular; Translation: “Avner”; Notes: Speaker of the response.
- חֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֥ (ḥei-nafshekha) – Root: חיה (ḥayah), נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “As your soul lives”; Notes: Oath formula.
- הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melek); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “O king”; Notes: Direct address to Sha’ul.
- אִם־יָדָֽעְתִּי׃ (im-yadaʿti) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “if I know”; Notes: Expresses uncertainty.