וַיַּעַן֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמֹּ֗ו וְלָמָה֩ אַ֨תְּ שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֤ג הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ לַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־לֹו֙ אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה כִּ֛י ה֥וּא אָחִ֖י הַגָּדֹ֣ול מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְלֹו֙ וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וּלְיֹואָ֖ב בֶּן־צְרוּיָֽה׃ פ
And King Shelomo answered and said to his mother, “And why do you ask Avishag the Shunammit for Adoniyyahu? Ask for him also the kingship, for he is my older brother, even for him, and for Evyatar the priest, and for Yoʾav son of Tseruya.”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן֩ (vayyaʿan) – Root: ענה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces Shelomoh’s reply.
- הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the verb “answered.”
- שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה (Shelomoh) – Root: שלמה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shelomoh”; Notes: Apposition to “the king.”
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- לְאִמֹּ֗ו (le-immō) – Root: אם; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his mother”; Notes: Refers to Bat-Shevaʿ.
- וְלָמָה֩ (ve-lamah) – Root: למה; Form: Conjunction + interrogative; Translation: “And why”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
- אַ֨תְּ (ʾatt) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Feminine, addressing Bat-Shevaʿ.
- שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת (shoʾelet) – Root: שאל; Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “ask”; Notes: Ongoing or present action.
- אֶת־אֲבִישַׁ֤ג (et-Avishag) – Root: אבישג; Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Avishag”; Notes: Object of the request.
- הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ (ha-Shunammīt) – Root: שׁונם; Form: Definite article + gentilic adjective feminine singular; Translation: “the Shunammite”; Notes: Identifies her origin.
- לַאֲדֹנִיָּ֔הוּ (la-Adoniyyahu) – Root: אדניה; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “for Adoniyyahu”; Notes: Recipient of the request.
- וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־לֹו֙ (ve-shaʾali-lo) – Root: שאל; Form: Conjunction + Qal imperative feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and ask for him”; Notes: Sarcastic imperative.
- אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה (et-ha-melukhah) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the kingship”; Notes: Object of the sarcastic imperative.
- כִּ֛י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives reason.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- אָחִ֖י (aḥi) – Root: אח; Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my brother”; Notes: Relationship identifier.
- הַגָּדֹ֣ול (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל; Form: Definite article + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the older”; Notes: Indicates birth order.
- מִמֶּ֑נִּי (mimmenni) – Root: מן; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “than I”; Notes: Comparative construction.
- וְלֹו֙ (velo) – Root: לו; Form: Conjunction + preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and for him”; Notes: Introduces co-conspirators.
- וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר (u-le-Evyatar) – Root: אביתר; Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and for Evyatar”; Notes: Former priest aligned with Adoniyyahu.
- הַכֹּהֵ֔ן (ha-kohen) – Root: כהן; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: Apposition to Evyatar.
- וּלְיֹואָ֖ב (u-le-Yoʾav) – Root: יואב; Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and for Yoʾav”; Notes: Military commander aligned with Adoniyyahu.
- בֶּן־צְרוּיָֽה (ben-Tseruyah) – Root: בן, צרויה; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Tseruyah”; Notes: Identifies Yoʾav’s lineage.