וַיִּשָּׁבַע֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה בַּֽיהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֣ה יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יֹוסִ֔יף כִּ֣י בְנַפְשֹׁ֔ו דִּבֶּר֙ אֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃
And King Shelomo swore by YHWH, saying, “Thus may God do to me, and thus may He add, for Adoniyyahu has spoken this word against his own life.”
Morphology
- וַיִּשָּׁבַע֙ (vayyishavaʿ) – Root: שׁבע; Form: Nifal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he swore”; Notes: Nifal form, reflexive or passive—commonly used for oaths.
- הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (Shelomoh) – Root: שלמה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shelomoh”; Notes: Apposition to “the king.”
- בַּֽיהוָ֖ה (ba-YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Preposition + divine name; Translation: “by YHWH”; Notes: Introduces object of oath.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾmor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the oath.
- כֹּ֣ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Common formula in oath declarations.
- יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֤י (yaʿaseh-li) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “may He do to me”; Notes: Common curse formula.
- אֱלֹהִים֙ (Elohim) – Root: אלהים; Form: Noun masculine plural (with singular meaning); Translation: “Elohim”; Notes: Refers to God in oath formula.
- וְכֹ֣ה (ve-koh) – Root: כה; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and thus”; Notes: Continues parallel curse formula.
- יֹוסִ֔יף (yosif) – Root: יסף; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “may He add”; Notes: Continues the curse formula, expressing escalation.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason for the oath.
- בְנַפְשֹׁ֔ו (be-nafsho) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against his own life”; Notes: Indicates personal responsibility.
- דִּבֶּר֙ (dibber) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he has spoken”; Notes: Piel intensifies the verb—deliberate speech.
- אֲדֹנִיָּ֔הוּ (Adoniyyahu) – Root: אדניה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Adoniyyahu”; Notes: Subject of the verb “he has spoken.”
- אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר (et-ha-davar) – Root: דבר; Form: Definite object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “this word”; Notes: The specific request he made.
- הַזֶּֽה (hazzeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative adjective masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “word.”