וַתָּקָם֩ בְּתֹ֨וךְ הַלַּ֜יְלָה וַתִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־בְּנִ֣י מֵֽאֶצְלִ֗י וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ יְשֵׁנָ֔ה וַתַּשְׁכִּיבֵ֖הוּ בְּחֵיקָ֑הּ וְאֶת־בְּנָ֥הּ הַמֵּ֖ת הִשְׁכִּ֥יבָה בְחֵיקִֽי׃
And she rose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and her dead son she laid in my bosom.
Morphology
- וַתָּקָם֩ (vattaqam) – Root: קום; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3fs; Translation: “And she rose”; Notes: Introduces the action of the other woman.
- בְּתֹ֨וךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “in the middle of”; Notes: Temporal-spatial indicator.
- הַלַּ֜יְלָה (ha-laylah) – Root: ליל; Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the night”; Notes: Completes temporal setting.
- וַתִּקַּ֧ח (vattiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3fs; Translation: “and she took”; Notes: Sequential action following rising.
- אֶת־בְּנִ֣י (et-benī) – Root: בן; Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my son”; Notes: Direct object of the action.
- מֵֽאֶצְלִ֗י (me-etsli) – Root: אצל; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “from beside me”; Notes: Indicates proximity before the child was taken.
- וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ (vaʾamatekha) – Root: אמה; Form: Conjunction + noun, feminine singular construct + 2ms suffix; Translation: “and your servant”; Notes: Humble self-reference before a king.
- יְשֵׁנָ֔ה (yeshenah) – Root: ישן; Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “was sleeping”; Notes: Describes the state of the speaker.
- וַתַּשְׁכִּיבֵ֖הוּ (vattashkivehu) – Root: שׁכב; Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 3fs + 3ms suffix; Translation: “and she laid him”; Notes: Causative verb describing deliberate placement.
- בְּחֵיקָ֑הּ (be-ḥeiqah) – Root: חיק; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular + 3fs suffix; Translation: “in her bosom”; Notes: Emphasizes substitution.
- וְאֶת־בְּנָ֥הּ (ve-et-benah) – Root: בן; Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun + 3fs suffix; Translation: “and her son”; Notes: Subject of the next action.
- הַמֵּ֖ת (ha-met) – Root: מות; Form: Qal participle masculine singular definite; Translation: “the dead”; Notes: Identifies the status of the child.
- הִשְׁכִּ֥יבָה (hishkivah) – Root: שׁכב; Form: Hiphil perfect 3fs; Translation: “she laid”; Notes: Causative action, deliberate placement again.
- בְחֵיקִֽי (be-ḥeiqi) – Root: חיק; Form: Preposition + noun + 1cs suffix; Translation: “in my bosom”; Notes: Indicates deceptive switch of the children.