וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר גָּדְל֣וּ אִתֹּו֮ לֵאמֹר֒ כֹּֽה־תֹאמַ֣ר לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֡ה אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבְּר֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ לֵאמֹ֗ר אָבִ֨יךָ֙ הִכְבִּ֣יד אֶת־עֻלֵּ֔נוּ וְאַתָּ֖ה הָקֵ֣ל מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּ כֹּ֚ה תְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם קָֽטָנִּ֥י עָבָ֖ה מִמָּתְנֵ֥י אָבִֽי׃
And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it from upon us’—thus you shall speak to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.
Morphology
- וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ (va-yedabberu) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they spoke”; Notes: Intensive form of speech.
- אֵלָ֗יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾ.l); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Reḥavʿam.
- הַיְלָדִים֙ (ha-yeladim) – Root: ילד (y.l.d); Form: Definite noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the young men”; Notes: Reḥavʿam’s contemporaries who advised him.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
- גָּדְל֣וּ (gadelu) – Root: גדל (g.d.l); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “had grown up”; Notes: Describes their shared upbringing with the king.
- אִתֹּו (itto) – Root: את (ʾ.t); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “with him”; Notes: Reinforces close association.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- כֹּֽה־תֹאמַ֣ר (koh-toʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Adverb + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus you shall say”; Notes: Prophetic or royal instruction formula.
- לָעָ֣ם (la-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ.m); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- הַזֶּ֡ה (ha-zeh) – Form: Demonstrative adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “people.”
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- דִּבְּר֨וּ (dibberu) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “spoke”; Notes: Intensive expression.
- אֵלֶ֜יךָ (elekha) – Root: אל (ʾ.l); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “spoke.”
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (leʾemor) – Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces quoted speech.
- אָבִ֨יךָ֙ (avikha) – Root: אב (ʾ.v); Form: Noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Refers to Shelomoh.
- הִכְבִּ֣יד (hikbid) – Root: כבד (k.v.d); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “made heavy”; Notes: Causative verb.
- אֶת־עֻלֵּ֔נוּ (et-ʿullenu) – Root: עול (ʿ.w.l); Form: Direct object marker + noun with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our yoke”; Notes: Symbol of oppression.
- וְאַתָּ֖ה (ve-atta) – Form: Conjunction + pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “but you”; Notes: Contrastive clause.
- הָקֵ֣ל (haqel) – Root: קלל (q.l.l); Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “lighten”; Notes: Direct command quoted from the people.
- מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּ (meʿaleinu) – Root: על (ʿ.l); Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “from upon us”; Notes: Refers to the burden.
- כֹּ֚ה תְּדַבֵּ֣ר (koh tedabber) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Adverb + Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus you shall speak”; Notes: Another instruction formula.
- אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (aleihem) – Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the people.
- קָֽטָנִּ֥י (qaṭanni) – Root: קטן (q.ṭ.n); Form: Noun + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my little one”; Notes: Refers euphemistically to the little finger.
- עָבָ֖ה (ʿavah) – Root: עבה (ʿ.v.h); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “thicker”; Notes: Comparative statement.
- מִמָּתְנֵ֥י (mi-motnei) – Root: מתן (m.t.n); Form: Preposition + plural noun + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “than the loins of”; Notes: Comparative construction.
- אָבִֽי (avi) – Root: אב (ʾ.v); Form: Noun + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers again to Shelomoh.