וַתֹּ֗אמֶר שְׁאֵלָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת קְטַנָּה֙ אָֽנֹכִי֙ שֹׁאֶ֣לֶת מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְ אַל־תָּ֖שֶׁב אֶת־פָּנָ֑י וַיֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֤הּ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ שַׁאֲלִ֣י אִמִּ֔י כִּ֥י לֹֽא־אָשִׁ֖יב אֶת־פָּנָֽיִךְ׃
And she said, “One small request I ask of you; do not turn away my face.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not turn away your face.”
Morphology
- וַתֹּ֗אמֶר (vattomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Introduces Bat-Shevaʿ’s speech.
- שְׁאֵלָ֨ה (sheʾelah) – Root: שאל; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “request”; Notes: The object being asked.
- אַחַ֤ת (aḥat) – Root: אחד; Form: Numeral feminine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Modifies “request.”
- קְטַנָּה֙ (qetannah) – Root: קטן; Form: Adjective feminine singular; Translation: “small”; Notes: Indicates modesty of the request.
- אָנֹכִ֙י (anokhi) – Root: אנכי; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic subject.
- שֹׁאֶ֣לֶת (shoʾelet) – Root: שאל; Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “am asking”; Notes: Present/continuous aspect.
- מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְ (meʾittakh) – Root: את; Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from you”; Notes: Feminine form, addressed to Bat-Shevaʿ.
- אַל־תָּ֖שֶׁב (ʾal-tashev) – Root: שוב; Form: Negative particle + Hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “do not turn away”; Notes: Plea form, idiomatic expression of rejection.
- אֶת־פָּנָ֑י (et-panai) – Root: פנים; Form: Definite object marker + plural noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my face”; Notes: Idiom: “do not reject me.”
- וַיֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֤הּ (vayyomer-lah) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “And the king said to her”; Notes: Shift to King Shelomoh’s response.
- הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the speech verb.
- שַׁאֲלִ֣י (shaʾali) – Root: שאל; Form: Qal imperative feminine singular; Translation: “Ask”; Notes: Direct command to Bat-Shevaʿ.
- אִמִּ֔י (immi) – Root: אם; Form: Noun feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my mother”; Notes: Term of endearment and honor.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason or assurance.
- לֹֽא־אָשִׁ֖יב (lo-ʾashiv) – Root: שוב; Form: Negative particle + Hifil imperfect 1st person masculine singular; Translation: “I will not turn away”; Notes: Assures her he will not reject her request.
- אֶת־פָּנָֽיִךְ (et-panayikh) – Root: פנים; Form: Definite object marker + plural noun with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your face”; Notes: Idiomatic: “I will not refuse you.”