וַיֻּגַּ֤ד לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנֵּה֙ אֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ יָרֵ֖א אֶת־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וְ֠הִנֵּה אָחַ֞ז בְּקַרְנֹ֤ות הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִשָּֽׁבַֽע־לִ֤י כַיֹּום֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אִם־יָמִ֥ית אֶת־עַבְדֹּ֖ו בֶּחָֽרֶב׃
And it was told to Shelomo, saying, “Behold, Adoniyahu is afraid of King Shelomo; and behold, he has seized the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Shelomo swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death by the sword.’”
Morphology
- וַיֻּגַּד (va-yuggad) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hofal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it was told”; Notes: Passive verb introducing a report.
- לִשְׁלֹמֹה (li-Shelomoh) – Root: שלמה (Shelomoh); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Shelomoh”; Notes: Recipient of the report.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to an immediate situation.
- אֲדֹנִיָּהוּ (Adoniyahu) – Root: אדני + יהו; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Adoniyahu”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- יָרֵא (yare) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is afraid”; Notes: Expresses fear of retribution.
- אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה (et-ha-melekh Shelomoh) – Root: מלך (melekh), שלמה (Shelomoh); Form: Object marker + definite noun + proper noun; Translation: “King Shelomoh”; Notes: The one feared.
- וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinneh) – Form: Conjunction + interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces another significant detail.
- אָחַז (aḥaz) – Root: אחז (ʾaḥaz); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has seized”; Notes: Indicates taking hold of the altar horns.
- בְּקַרְנוֹת (be-qarnot) – Root: קרן (qeren); Form: Preposition + plural construct noun; Translation: “the horns of”; Notes: Refers to altar corners.
- הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (zavaḥ); Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the altar”; Notes: The altar as a place of refuge.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Begins Adoniyahu’s plea.
- יִשָּׁבַע־לִי (yishavaʿ-li) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Nifal jussive 3rd person masculine singular + preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “Let him swear to me”; Notes: Plea for a binding oath.
- כַיּוֹם (ka-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition + noun; Translation: “today”; Notes: Immediacy of the request.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה (ha-melekh Shelomoh) – Form: Definite noun + proper noun; Translation: “King Shelomoh”; Notes: The one from whom the oath is sought.
- אִם־יָמִית (im-yamit) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Conjunction + Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that he will not put to death”; Notes: Negative condition implied in plea.
- אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ (et-ʿavdo) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Object marker + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his servant”; Notes: Refers to Adoniyahu himself.
- בֶּחָרֶב (be-ḥarev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition + noun; Translation: “by the sword”; Notes: Instrument of execution.