וַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וַיִּבְרְח֤וּ שְׁנֵֽי־עֲבָדִים֙ לְשִׁמְעִ֔י אֶל־אָכִ֥ישׁ בֶּֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ גַּ֑ת וַיַּגִּ֤ידוּ לְשִׁמְעִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִנֵּ֥ה עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ בְּגַֽת׃
And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimeʿi fled to Akhish son of Maʿakha, king of Gat; and they told Shimeʿi, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gat.”
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֗י (vayehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Narrative introduction.
- מִקֵּץ֙ (miqqets) – Root: קץ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “at the end of”; Notes: Marks a temporal boundary.
- שָׁלֹ֣שׁ (shalosh) – Root: שלש; Form: Cardinal number, feminine; Translation: “three”; Notes: Modifies “years.”
- שָׁנִ֔ים (shanim) – Root: שנה; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “years”; Notes: Indicates time passed.
- וַיִּבְרְח֤וּ (vayyivreḥu) – Root: ברח; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they fled”; Notes: Refers to the escape of the servants.
- שְׁנֵֽי־עֲבָדִים֙ (shenei-avadim) – Root: שנים, עבד; Form: Dual construct + noun masculine plural; Translation: “two servants”; Notes: Subject of the verb “fled.”
- לְשִׁמְעִ֔י (le-Shimʿi) – Root: שמעי; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of Shimʿi”; Notes: Indicates possession—Shimʿi’s servants.
- אֶל־אָכִ֥ישׁ (el-Akhish) – Root: אכיש; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Akhish”; Notes: Destination of the escape.
- בֶּֽן־מַעֲכָ֖ה (ben-Maʿakha) – Root: בן, מעכה; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Maʿakha”; Notes: Patronymic identification.
- מֶ֣לֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Title of Akhish.
- גַּ֑ת (Gat) – Root: גת; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Gat”; Notes: Philistine city.
- וַיַּגִּ֤ידוּ (vayyaggidu) – Root: נגד; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they told”; Notes: Reporting the servants’ flight.
- לְשִׁמְעִי֙ (le-Shimʿi) – Root: שמעי; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Shimʿi”; Notes: Recipient of the report.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הִנֵּ֥ה (hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to a fact.
- עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ (avadekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servants”; Notes: Refers to those who fled.
- בְּגַֽת (be-Gat) – Root: גת; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Gat”; Notes: Their current location.