וְהֵשִׁיב֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֶת־דָּמֹ֜ו עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֗ו אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּגַ֣ע בִּשְׁנֵֽי־֠אֲנָשִׁים צַדִּקִ֨ים וְטֹבִ֤ים מִמֶּ֨נּוּ֙ וַיַּהַרְגֵ֣ם בַּחֶ֔רֶב וְאָבִ֥י דָוִ֖ד לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤ר בֶּן־נֵר֙ שַׂר־צְבָ֣א יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־עֲמָשָׂ֥א בֶן־יֶ֖תֶר שַׂר־צְבָ֥א יְהוּדָֽה׃
And YHWH shall return his blood upon his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—and my father Dawid not knowing it—Avner son of Ner, commander of the army of Yisraʾel, and ʿAmasa son of Yeter, commander of the army of Yehuda.
Morphology
- וְהֵשִׁיב֩ (ve-heshiv) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Conjunction + Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he shall return”; Notes: Refers to divine retribution.
- יְהוָ֨ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Subject of the verb “shall return.”
- אֶת־דָּמֹ֜ו (et-damo) – Root: דם; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his blood”; Notes: Refers to Yoʾav’s guilt.
- עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֗ו (ʿal-rosho) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon his head”; Notes: Idiom for personal accountability.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces clause giving reason.
- פָּגַ֣ע (pagaʿ) – Root: פגע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he struck”; Notes: Violent or fatal encounter.
- בִּשְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁים (bishnei-anashim) – Root: שׁנים, אנשׁ; Form: Preposition + dual construct + plural noun; Translation: “two men”; Notes: Victims of Yoʾav.
- צַדִּקִ֨ים (tsaddiqim) – Root: צדק; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “righteous”; Notes: Moral character emphasized.
- וְטֹבִ֤ים (ve-tovim) – Root: טוב; Form: Conjunction + adjective masculine plural; Translation: “and good”; Notes: Further affirms their innocence.
- מִמֶּ֨נּוּ֙ (mimmennu) – Root: מן; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “than he”; Notes: Comparative construction.
- וַיַּהַרְגֵ֣ם (vayyahargem) – Root: הרג; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he killed them”; Notes: Refers to Yoʾav’s action.
- בַּחֶ֔רֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Instrument of execution.
- וְאָבִ֥י (ve-avi) – Root: אב; Form: Conjunction + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and my father”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- דָוִ֖ד (Dawid) – Root: דוד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Apposition to “my father.”
- לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע (lo yādaʿ) – Root: ידע; Form: Negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “did not know”; Notes: Denies complicity in the killings.
- אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤ר (et-Avner) – Root: אבנר; Form: Definite object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Avner”; Notes: First victim named.
- בֶּן־נֵר֙ (ben-Ner) – Root: בן, נר; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Ner”; Notes: Patronymic identification.
- שַׂר־צְבָ֣א (sar-tseva) – Root: שׂר, צבא; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “commander of the army”; Notes: Military title.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The northern tribes under Dawid.
- וְאֶת־עֲמָשָׂ֥א (ve-et-ʿAmasa) – Root: עמשׂא; Form: Conjunction + object marker + proper noun; Translation: “and ʿAmasa”; Notes: Second victim named.
- בֶן־יֶ֖תֶר (ben-Yeter) – Root: בן, יתר; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Yeter”; Notes: Patronymic identification.
- שַׂר־צְבָ֥א (sar-tseva) – Root: שׂר, צבא; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “commander of the army”; Notes: Like Avner, a general.
- יְהוּדָֽה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Southern kingdom over which Dawid ruled first.