וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י הֱבִיא֗וּם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָמַ֤ל הָעָם֙ עַל־מֵיטַ֤ב הַצֹּאן֙ וְהַבָּקָ֔ר לְמַ֥עַן זְבֹ֖חַ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְאֶת־הַיֹּותֵ֖ר הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ׃ ס
And Shaʾul said, “They have brought them from the ʿAmaleqites, for the people spared the best of the flock and the cattle in order to sacrifice to YHWH your God, but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Shaʾul’s response.
- שָׁא֜וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שאול (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- מֵעֲמָלֵקִ֣י (me-ʿAmaleqi) – Root: עמלק (ʿAmaleq); Form: Noun, masculine singular, with preposition; Translation: “from the Amaleqites”; Notes: Indicates origin.
- הֱבִיא֗וּם (heviʾum) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “they have brought them”; Notes: Indicates causative action.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- חָמַ֤ל (ḥamal) – Root: חמל (ḥamal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “spared”; Notes: Indicates mercy or preservation.
- הָעָם֙ (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Subject of the previous verb.
- עַל־מֵיטַ֤ב (ʿal-meitav) – Root: יטב (yatav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “the best of”; Notes: Refers to the quality of livestock.
- הַצֹּאן֙ (ha-tson) – Root: צאן (tson); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the flock”; Notes: Includes sheep and goats.
- וְהַבָּקָ֔ר (ve-ha-bakar) – Root: בקר (bakar); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “and the cattle”; Notes: Refers to oxen or livestock.
- לְמַ֥עַן (lemaʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order to”; Notes: Expresses purpose.
- זְבֹ֖חַ (zevoaḥ) – Root: זבח (zavaḥ); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “sacrifice”; Notes: Refers to an act of worship.
- לַיהוָ֣ה (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, divine name, with preposition; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: The recipient of the sacrifice.
- אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (ʾElohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Directed at Shemuʾel.
- וְאֶת־הַיֹּותֵ֖ר (ve-ʾet-ha-yoter) – Root: יתר (yatar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct, definite; Translation: “but the rest”; Notes: That which remained.
- הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ (heḥeramnu) – Root: חרם (ḥaram); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we have utterly destroyed”; Notes: Indicates complete destruction.