וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֡וּל נֵרְדָ֣ה אַחֲרֵי֩ פְלִשְׁתִּ֨ים לַ֜יְלָה וְֽנָבֹ֥זָה בָהֶ֣ם עַד־אֹ֣ור הַבֹּ֗קֶר וְלֹֽא־נַשְׁאֵ֤ר בָּהֶם֙ אִ֔ישׁ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כָּל־הַטֹּ֥וב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ עֲשֵׂ֑ה ס וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן נִקְרְבָ֥ה הֲלֹ֖ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
And Shaʾul said, “Let us go down after the Pelishtim by night and plunder them until the light of morning, and let us not leave a man among them.” And they said, “Do all that is good in your eyes.” And the priest said, “Let us draw near here to the God.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative introduction to speech.
- שָׁא֡וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שאול (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: The first king of Yisraʾel.
- נֵרְדָ֣ה (nerdah) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “Let us go down”; Notes: Expresses intent or determination.
- אַחֲרֵי֩ (aḥarei) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates pursuit.
- פְלִשְׁתִּ֨ים (Pelishtim) – Root: פלשת (Peleshet); Form: Proper noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the Pelishtim”; Notes: Refers to the Philistines.
- לַ֜יְלָה (laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “by night”; Notes: Indicates the time of action.
- וְֽנָבֹ֥זָה (venavozah) – Root: בזה (bazah); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “and let us plunder”; Notes: Expresses intent.
- בָהֶ֣ם (bahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with pronominal suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the Pelishtim.
- עַד־אֹ֣ור (ʿad-or) – Root: אור (ʾor); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “until the light”; Notes: Marks the time limit.
- הַבֹּ֗קֶר (ha-boqer) – Root: בקר (boqer); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the morning”; Notes: Specifies the timeframe.
- וְלֹֽא־נַשְׁאֵ֤ר (velo-nashʾer) – Root: שאר (shaʾar); Form: Nifal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “and let us not leave”; Notes: Negative cohortative.
- בָּהֶם֙ (bahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with pronominal suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “among them”; Notes: Refers to the Pelishtim.
- אִ֔ישׁ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Meaning no survivors.
- וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Response of the people.
- כָּל־הַטֹּ֥וב (kol-hatov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite with quantifier; Translation: “all that is good”; Notes: Expresses agreement.
- בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ (beʿeineikha) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine dual, with pronominal suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “in your eyes”; Notes: Idiomatic for approval.
- עֲשֵׂ֑ה (ʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “do”; Notes: Command to Shaʾul.
- ס (samekh) – Form: Sectional marker; Translation: “pause”; Notes: Indicates a break.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks the priest’s speech.
- הַכֹּהֵ֔ן (hakohen) – Root: כהן (kohen); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: Refers to an officiating priest.
- נִקְרְבָ֥ה (niqrevah) – Root: קרב (qarav); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “Let us draw near”; Notes: Expresses intent.
- אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים (el-haʾelohim) – Root: אלהים (ʾelohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural, definite; Translation: “to the Elohim”; Notes: Refers to divine consultation.