וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם מָ֚ה אַתֶּ֣ם נֹֽועָצִ֔ים וְנָשִׁ֥יב דָּבָ֖ר אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּר֤וּ אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הָקֵל֙ מִן־הָעֹ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן אָבִ֖יךָ עָלֵֽינוּ׃
And he said to them, “What do you advise, and how shall we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put upon us’?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Standard narrative verb introducing speech.
- אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם (aleihem) – Root: אל (ʾ.l); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the young advisors.
- מָ֚ה (mah) – Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- אַתֶּ֣ם (atem) – Form: Personal pronoun, 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the interrogative clause.
- נֹֽועָצִ֔ים (noʿatsim) – Root: יעץ (y.ʿ.ṣ); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are advising”; Notes: Present active participle expressing current counsel.
- וְנָשִׁ֥יב (ve-nashiv) – Root: שוב (sh.u.v); Form: Hifil cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “and we shall answer”; Notes: Includes himself and his advisors in the action.
- דָּבָ֖ר (davar) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a word” or “a matter”; Notes: Refers to the reply or message.
- אֶת־הָעָ֣ם (et-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ.m); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- הַזֶּ֑ה (ha-zeh) – Form: Demonstrative adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “people.”
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
- דִּבְּר֤וּ (dibberu) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “have spoken”; Notes: Emphatic or intensive form of speaking.
- אֵלַי֙ (elai) – Root: אל (ʾ.l); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to Reḥavʿam.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the speech.
- הָקֵל֙ (haqel) – Root: קלל (q.l.l); Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “lighten”; Notes: Expresses request or command.
- מִן־הָעֹ֔ל (min-ha-ʿol) – Root: עול (ʿ.w.l); Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “from the yoke”; Notes: Symbol of labor or oppression.
- אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן (ʾasher-natan) – Root: נתן (n.t.n); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that he placed”; Notes: Refers to King Shelomoh.
- אָבִ֖יךָ (avikha) – Root: אב (ʾ.v); Form: Noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Shelomoh, the previous king.
- עָלֵֽינוּ (aleinu) – Root: על (ʿ.l); Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Describes the burden placed on the people.