וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הִנֵּה֩ בִתִּ֨י הַגְּדֹולָ֤ה מֵרַב֙ אֹתָהּ֙ אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ךְ הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם מִלְחֲמֹ֣ות יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁא֣וּל אָמַ֗ר אַל־תְּהִ֤י יָדִי֙ בֹּ֔ו וּתְהִי־בֹ֖ו יַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ ס
And Shaʾul said to Dawid, “Behold, my elder daughter, Merav—I will give her to you as a wife. Only be for me a valiant man and fight the battles of YHWH.” For Shaʾul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Pelishtim be against him.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yóʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- שָׁא֜וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שאל (shaʾal); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: The subject of the sentence.
- אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד (ʾel-Dawíd) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of speech.
- הִנֵּה֩ (hinnéh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Calls attention to the statement.
- בִתִּ֨י (bittí) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my daughter”; Notes: Refers to Merav.
- הַגְּדֹולָ֤ה (ha-gedoláh) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective, feminine singular, definite; Translation: “the elder”; Notes: Describes Merav as the older daughter.
- מֵרַב֙ (Merav) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Merav”; Notes: Name of Shaʾul’s daughter.
- אֹתָהּ֙ (ʾotah) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Merav.
- אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ (ʾettén-lekha) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I will give to you”; Notes: Expresses an intended action.
- לְאִשָּׁ֔ה (le-ʾisháh) – Root: אשה (ʾishah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition; Translation: “as a wife”; Notes: Indicates marriage.
- אַ֚ךְ (ʾakh) – Root: אך (ʾakh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Only”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י (heyeh-li) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “Be for me”; Notes: Commands Dawid.
- לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל (le-ven-ḥayíl) – Root: חיל (ḥayil); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “a valiant man”; Notes: Indicates bravery or warrior status.
- וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם (ve-hillaḥém) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and fight”; Notes: Nifal stem denotes engagement in battle.
- מִלְחֲמֹ֣ות (milḥamot) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct; Translation: “the battles of”; Notes: Related to war.
- יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the battles fought under divine will.
- וְשָׁא֣וּל אָמַ֗ר (ve-Shaʾul amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “For Shaʾul thought”; Notes: Indicates internal reasoning.
- אַל־תְּהִ֤י (ʾal-tehí) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal jussive 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “Let not be”; Notes: Expresses negation.
- יָדִי֙ (yadí) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my hand”; Notes: Metaphor for power.
- וּתְהִי־בֹ֖ו (u-tehí-vo) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal jussive 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “but let be against him”; Notes: Expresses desire for Pelishtim to harm Dawid.
- יַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים (yad-Pelištím) – Root: פלש (palash); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “the hand of the Pelishtim”; Notes: Indicates the intended means of harming Dawid.