אָבִ֖יךָ הִקְשָׁ֣ה אֶת־עֻלֵּ֑נוּ וְאַתָּ֡ה עַתָּ֣ה הָקֵל֩ מֵעֲבֹדַ֨ת אָבִ֜יךָ הַקָּשָׁ֗ה וּמֵעֻלֹּ֧ו הַכָּבֵ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ וְנַעַבְדֶֽךָּ׃
“Your father made our yoke hard; now you lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve you.”
Morphology
- אָבִ֖יךָ (avikha) – Root: אב (ʾ.v); Form: Noun, masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Refers to Shelomoh.
- הִקְשָׁ֣ה (hiqshah) – Root: קשה (q.sh.h); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “made hard”; Notes: Describes severity or oppression.
- אֶת־עֻלֵּ֑נוּ (et-ʿulleinu) – Root: עלל or עול (ʿ.l.l / ʿ.w.l); Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular construct + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our yoke”; Notes: Symbol of burden or oppression.
- וְאַתָּ֡ה (ve-atta) – Form: Conjunction + pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “but you”; Notes: Shift in subject, appeal to Reḥavʿam.
- עַתָּ֣ה (ʿatta) – Form: Adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Implies present action or decision.
- הָקֵל֩ (haqel) – Root: קלל (q.l.l); Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “lighten”; Notes: Direct command/request.
- מֵעֲבֹדַ֨ת (me-ʿavodat) – Root: עבד (ʿ.b.d); Form: Preposition + construct noun, feminine singular; Translation: “from the service of”; Notes: Refers to forced labor or tribute.
- אָבִ֜יךָ (avikha) – Form: Noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- הַקָּשָׁ֗ה (ha-qashah) – Root: קשה (q.sh.h); Form: Adjective, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the hard”; Notes: Qualifies the labor mentioned before.
- וּמֵעֻלֹּ֧ו (u-meʿullo) – Root: עול (ʿ.w.l); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun, masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and from his yoke”; Notes: Further emphasizes the burden.
- הַכָּבֵ֛ד (ha-kaved) – Root: כבד (k.v.d); Form: Adjective, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the heavy”; Notes: Describes the harshness of rule.
- אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן (ʾasher-natan) – Root: נתן (n.t.n); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “which he put”; Notes: Describes Shelomoh’s actions.
- עָלֵ֖ינוּ (ʿaleinu) – Root: על (ʿ.l); Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Indicates imposed rule.
- וְנַעַבְדֶֽךָּ (ve-naʿavdekha) – Root: עבד (ʿ.b.d); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 1st person plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and we will serve you”; Notes: Conditional response to leniency.