לְכִ֞י וּבֹ֣אִי אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֗ד וְאָמַ֤רְתְּ אֵלָיו֙ הֲלֹֽא־אַתָּ֞ה אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ נִשְׁבַּ֤עְתָּ לַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כִּֽי־שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה בְנֵךְ֙ יִמְלֹ֣ךְ אַחֲרַ֔י וְה֖וּא יֵשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְאִ֑י וּמַדּ֖וּעַ מָלַ֥ךְ אֲדֹנִיָֽהוּ׃
Go and come to King Dawid, and you shall say to him, ‘Did not you, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Surely Shelomo your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Then why has Adoniyyahu reigned?’
Morphology
- לְכִ֞י (lechi) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Addressed to Bat-sheva.
- וּבֹ֣אִי (u-voʾi) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “and come”; Notes: Parallel command continuing the instruction.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: אל (ʾel), מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- דָּוִ֗ד (Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel, addressed directly.
- וְאָמַ֤רְתְּ (ve-amart) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Continuation of instructions to Bat-sheva.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- הֲלֹֽא־אַתָּ֞ה (halo-atta) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle + pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Did not you…?”; Notes: Emphatic rhetorical question.
- אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (adoni ha-melekh) – Root: אדן (ʾadon), מלך (melekh); Form: Noun + definite noun; Translation: “my lord the king”; Notes: Formal address for royalty.
- נִשְׁבַּ֤עְתָּ (nishbaʿta) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you swore”; Notes: Refers to a solemn oath.
- לַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ (laʾamatekha) – Root: אמה (ʾamah); Form: Preposition + noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to your servant (female)”; Notes: Humble reference by Bat-sheva to herself.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech of the oath.
- כִּֽי־שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה (ki-Shelomoh) – Root: כי (ki), שלמה (Shelomoh); Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “Surely Shelomoh”; Notes: Asserts the identity of the successor.
- בְנֵךְ֙ (venekha) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun in construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your son”; Notes: Refers to Shelomoh.
- יִמְלֹ֣ךְ (yimlokh) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall reign”; Notes: Future action from Dawid’s perspective.
- אַחֲרַ֔י (ʾaḥarai) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “after me”; Notes: Indicates succession.
- וְה֖וּא (ve-hu) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he”; Notes: Emphatic subject of the next verb.
- יֵשֵׁ֣ב (yeshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall sit”; Notes: Often used of reigning on a throne.
- עַל־כִּסְאִ֑י (ʿal-kisʾi) – Root: כסא (kisseʾ); Form: Preposition + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “on my throne”; Notes: Refers to royal authority.
- וּמַדּ֖וּעַ (u-madduaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ) via derivative; Form: Conjunction + interrogative; Translation: “and why”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical challenge.
- מָלַ֥ךְ (malakh) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has reigned”; Notes: Completed action by Adoniyyahu.
- אֲדֹנִיָֽהוּ׃ (Adoniyyahu) – Root: אדניה (Adoniyyahu); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Adoniyyahu”; Notes: The one usurping the throne.