וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ גִּזְר֛וּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֥לֶד הַחַ֖י לִשְׁנָ֑יִם וּתְנ֤וּ אֶֽת־הַחֲצִי֙ לְאַחַ֔ת וְאֶֽת־הַחֲצִ֖י לְאֶחָֽת׃
And the king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give one half to one, and half to the other.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Shelomoh’s commanding speech.
- הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Shelomoh giving judgment.
- גִּזְר֛וּ (gizru) – Root: גזר; Form: Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “Cut”; Notes: A shocking command, meant to test the women’s reactions.
- אֶת־הַיֶּ֥לֶד (et-ha-yeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the child”; Notes: The object of the imperative verb.
- הַחַ֖י (ha-ḥai) – Root: חיה; Form: Adjective, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the living”; Notes: Specifies the living baby as the subject of the order.
- לִשְׁנָ֑יִם (lishnayim) – Root: שנים; Form: Preposition + numeral, masculine dual; Translation: “into two”; Notes: Indicates division into halves.
- וּתְנ֤וּ (u-tenu) – Root: נתן; Form: Conjunction + Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “and give”; Notes: Continues the instruction to divide the child.
- אֶֽת־הַחֲצִי֙ (et-ha-ḥatsi) – Root: חצה; Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the half”; Notes: One portion of the divided child.
- לְאַחַ֔ת (le-aḥat) – Root: אחד; Form: Preposition + numeral, feminine singular; Translation: “to one”; Notes: Refers to one of the two women.
- וְאֶֽת־הַחֲצִ֖י (ve-et-ha-ḥatsi) – Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “and the other half”; Notes: Continuation of the divided portions.
- לְאֶחָֽת (le-eḥat) – Root: אחד; Form: Preposition + numeral, feminine singular; Translation: “to the other”; Notes: Refers to the second woman.