וַתֹּ֣אמֶר הָאִשָּׁה֩ אֲשֶׁר־בְּנָ֨הּ הַחַ֜י אֶל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כִּֽי־נִכְמְר֣וּ רַחֲמֶיהָ֮ עַל־בְּנָהּ֒ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֗י תְּנוּ־לָהּ֙ אֶת־הַיָּל֣וּד הַחַ֔י וְהָמֵ֖ת אַל־תְּמִיתֻ֑הוּ וְזֹ֣את אֹמֶ֗רֶת גַּם־לִ֥י גַם־לָ֛ךְ לֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה גְּזֹֽרוּ׃
And the woman whose son was the living one said to the king—for her compassion grew warm for her son, and she said, “Please, my lord, give her the living child, and do not kill him.” But the other said, “Let it be neither mine nor yours, cut him in two!”
Morphology
- וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (vattomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3fs; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Introduces speech by the true mother.
- הָאִשָּׁה֩ (ha-ishah) – Root: אשה; Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the woman”; Notes: Subject of the speech verb.
- אֲשֶׁר־בְּנָ֨הּ (asher-benah) – Root: אשר, בן; Form: Relative pronoun + noun construct with 3fs suffix; Translation: “whose son”; Notes: Modifies the woman as the true mother.
- הַחַ֜י (ha-ḥai) – Root: חיה; Form: Adjective, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the living”; Notes: Further defines the child as the living one.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Directs her plea.
- כִּֽי־נִכְמְר֣וּ (ki-nikhmeru) – Root: כמר; Form: Nifal perfect 3mp; Translation: “for were stirred”; Notes: Emotional arousal, especially compassion.
- רַחֲמֶיהָ֮ (raḥameha) – Root: רחם; Form: Noun, masculine plural + 3fs suffix; Translation: “her compassion”; Notes: Used to express deep maternal feeling.
- עַל־בְּנָהּ (ʿal-benah) – Root: על, בן; Form: Preposition + noun construct with 3fs suffix; Translation: “for her son”; Notes: Object of her stirred compassion.
- וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (vattomer) – Form: As above; Translation: “and she said”; Notes: Repeats for emphasis in the narrative.
- בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֗י (bi adoni) – Root: ב, אדן; Form: Interjectional phrase: “Please, my lord”; Translation: “Please, my lord”; Notes: Polite plea before authority.
- תְּנוּ־לָהּ֙ (tenu-lah) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal imperative 2mp + preposition + 3fs suffix; Translation: “give to her”; Notes: Urgent plea to spare the child.
- אֶת־הַיָּל֣וּד (et-ha-yalud) – Root: ילד; Form: Direct object marker + passive participle, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the child born”; Notes: Refers to the living baby.
- הַחַ֔י (ha-ḥai) – Form: As above; Translation: “the living”
- וְהָמֵ֖ת (ve-hamet) – Root: מות; Form: Conjunction + Qal participle, masculine singular definite; Translation: “but the dead”; Notes: Contrasts the child to be spared.
- אַל־תְּמִיתֻ֑הוּ (al-temituhu) – Root: מות; Form: Negative particle + Hiphil imperfect 2mp + 3ms suffix; Translation: “do not kill him”; Notes: Urgent command to preserve life.
- וְזֹ֣את (ve-zot) – Root: זה; Form: Conjunction + demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “but this one”; Notes: Refers to the false mother.
- אֹמֶ֗רֶת (omeret) – Form: Qal participle, feminine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Ongoing speech.
- גַּם־לִ֥י גַם־לָ֛ךְ (gam-li gam-lakh) – Root: גם, לי, לך; Form: Adverbs + prepositional phrases with suffixes; Translation: “neither to me nor to you”; Notes: Expression of spite.
- לֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה (lo yihyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “he shall not be”; Notes: Denial of possession.
- גְּזֹֽרוּ (gezeru) – Root: גזר; Form: Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “cut him in two”; Notes: Repeats and reinforces the ruthless suggestion.