וַיַּ֨עַן אִ֥ישׁ מִשָּׁ֛ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר וּמִ֣י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם עַל־כֵּן֙ הָיְתָ֣ה לְמָשָׁ֔ל הֲגַ֥ם שָׁא֖וּל בַּנְּבִאִֽים׃
And a man from there answered and said, “And who is their father?” Therefore, it became a proverb: “Is Shaʾul also among the prophets?”
Morphology
- וַיַּ֨עַן (va-yaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he answered”; Notes: Introduces a response.
- אִ֥ישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: An unspecified individual.
- מִשָּׁ֛ם (mi-sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Indicates location.
- וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces speech.
- וּמִ֣י (u-mi) – Root: מי (mi); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “and who”; Notes: Expresses a question.
- אֲבִיהֶ֑ם (avihem) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “is their father”; Notes: Indicates lineage or authority.
- עַל־כֵּן֙ (ʿal-ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Expresses causality.
- הָיְתָ֣ה (hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it became”; Notes: Indicates a state of being.
- לְמָשָׁ֔ל (le-mashal) – Root: משל (mashal); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a proverb”; Notes: A common saying.
- הֲגַ֥ם (ha-gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “is also”; Notes: Expresses rhetorical disbelief.
- שָׁא֖וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שאול (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Name of a person.
- בַּנְּבִאִֽים (ba-neviʾim) – Root: נביא (navi); Form: Noun, masculine plural, definite; Translation: “among the prophets”; Notes: Indicates inclusion in the group.