וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כַּעֲצַ֤ת הַיְלָדִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָבִי֙ הִכְבִּ֣יד אֶֽת־עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וַאֲנִ֖י אֹסִ֣יף עַֽל־עֻלְּכֶ֑ם אָבִ֗י יִסַּ֤ר אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּשֹּׁוטִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֕י אֲיַסֵּ֥ר אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים׃
And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
Morphology
- וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (va-yedabber) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he spoke”; Notes: Intensive form of the verb, introducing a declaration.
- אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם (aleihem) – Root: אל (ʾ.l); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- כַּעֲצַ֤ת (kaʿatsat) – Root: עצה (ʿ.ṣ.h); Form: Preposition + construct noun, feminine singular; Translation: “according to the counsel of”; Notes: Indicates alignment with the advice of others.
- הַיְלָדִים֙ (ha-yeladim) – Root: ילד (y.l.d); Form: Definite noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the young men”; Notes: Reḥavʿam’s peers who advised him.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אָבִי֙ (avi) – Root: אב (ʾ.v); Form: Noun + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to King Shelomoh.
- הִכְבִּ֣יד (hikbid) – Root: כבד (k.v.d); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “made heavy”; Notes: Causative action of increasing burden.
- אֶֽת־עֻלְּכֶ֔ם (et-ʿullekhem) – Root: עול (ʿ.w.l); Form: Direct object marker + noun with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your yoke”; Notes: Refers to forced labor or taxation.
- וַאֲנִ֖י (va-ani) – Form: Conjunction + pronoun; Translation: “but I”; Notes: Contrastive emphasis.
- אֹסִ֣יף (ʾosif) – Root: יסף (y.s.f); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will add”; Notes: Continuation of father’s oppression.
- עַֽל־עֻלְּכֶ֑ם (ʿal-ʿullekhem) – Root: עול (ʿ.w.l); Form: Preposition + noun with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon your yoke”; Notes: Indicates an increase of burden.
- אָבִ֗י (avi) – Form: Noun + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Repeated for parallelism.
- יִסַּ֤ר (yissar) – Root: יסר (y.s.r); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “disciplined”; Notes: Emphatic verb indicating chastisement.
- אֶתְכֶם֙ (etkhem) – Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Object of discipline.
- בַּשֹּׁוטִ֔ים (ba-shotim) – Root: שוט (sh.u.ṭ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article and preposition; Translation: “with whips”; Notes: Instrument of punishment.
- וַאֲנִ֕י (va-ani) – Form: Conjunction + pronoun; Translation: “but I”; Notes: Final contrast in the parallelism.
- אֲיַסֵּ֥ר (ayasser) – Root: יסר (y.s.r); Form: Piel imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will discipline”; Notes: Stronger, intensified action compared to father’s rule.
- אֶתְכֶ֖ם (etkhem) – Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Object of increased punishment.
- בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים (ba-ʿaqrabim) – Root: עקרב (ʿ.q.r.b); Form: Definite noun, masculine plural with preposition; Translation: “with scorpions”; Notes: Figurative for cruel and painful instruments of punishment.