וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אִ֚ם יִהְיֶ֣ה לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל לֹֽא־יִפֹּ֥ל מִשַּׂעֲרָתֹ֖ו אָ֑רְצָה וְאִם־רָעָ֥ה תִמָּצֵא־בֹ֖ו וָמֵֽת׃
And Shelomo said, “If he will be a worthy man, not a hair of his shall fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he shall die.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Shelomoh’s statement.
- שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh) – Root: שלמה (Shelomoh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shelomoh”; Notes: Subject of the verb “said.”
- אִם (ʾim) – Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If”; Notes: Introduces conditional clause.
- יִהְיֶה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will be”; Notes: Future condition.
- לְבֶן־חַיִל (le-ven-ḥayil) – Root: בן (ben), חיל (ḥayil); Form: Preposition + construct noun + noun; Translation: “a worthy man” or “a valiant man”; Notes: Expression for uprightness, valor, or integrity.
- לֹא־יִפֹּל (lo-yippol) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with negation; Translation: “not shall fall”; Notes: Negative outcome if condition is met.
- מִשַּׂעֲרָתוֹ (mi-saʿarato) – Root: שער (seʿar); Form: Preposition + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his hair” or “a hair of his”; Notes: Hyperbolic expression of protection.
- אָרְצָה (ʾartzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun, feminine singular with directional he; Translation: “to the ground”; Notes: Indicates motion or result.
- וְאִם (ve-ʾim) – Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Second condition, introduces opposite case.
- רָעָה (raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Refers to wickedness or wrongdoing.
- תִּמָּצֵא (timmaṭse) – Root: מצא (matsa); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “is found”; Notes: Passive discovery of guilt.
- בוֹ (bo) – Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in him”; Notes: Refers to Adoniyahu.
- וָמֵת (va-met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then he shall die”; Notes: Consequence of found guilt.