וַיָּשֶׂם֩ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֨ו בְכַפֹּ֜ו וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗י וַיַּ֨עַשׂ יְהוָ֜ה תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה גְדֹולָה֙ לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רָאִ֖יתָ וַתִּשְׂמָ֑ח וְלָ֤מָּה תֶֽחֱטָא֙ בְּדָ֣ם נָקִ֔י לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד חִנָּֽם׃
And he put his life in his hand and struck the Pelishti, and YHWH worked a great deliverance for all Yisraʾel. You saw it and rejoiced. And why would you sin by shedding innocent blood, by putting Dawid to death without cause?”
Morphology
- וַיָּשֶׂם֩ (va-yásem) – Root: שים (sim); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he put”; Notes: Describes an intentional act.
- אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֨ו (ʾet-nafshó) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his life”; Notes: Refers to personal risk.
- בְכַפֹּ֜ו (be-kappó) – Root: כף (kaf); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition and 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his hand”; Notes: Indicates personal responsibility.
- וַיַּ֣ךְ (va-yákh) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he struck”; Notes: Denotes the act of killing.
- אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗י (ʾet-ha-Pelishtí) – Root: פלשת (Peléshet); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with direct object marker; Translation: “the Philistine”; Notes: Refers to Golyat (Goliath).
- וַיַּ֨עַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and He worked”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s action.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The subject of the action.
- תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה (teshuʿah) – Root: ישע (yashaʿ); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “deliverance”; Notes: A significant act of salvation.
- גְדֹולָה֙ (gedolah) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective, feminine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Describes the magnitude of deliverance.
- לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (le-khol-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “for all Yisraʾel”; Notes: Specifies the beneficiaries.
- רָאִ֖יתָ (raʾíta) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you saw”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul’s direct witness.
- וַתִּשְׂמָ֑ח (va-tismáḥ) – Root: שמח (sameaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you rejoiced”; Notes: Denotes Shaʾul’s initial reaction.
- וְלָ֤מָּה (ve-lammah) – Root: למה (lammah); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “And why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- תֶֽחֱטָא֙ (teḥeta) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “would you sin”; Notes: Questions an impending action.
- בְּדָ֣ם נָקִ֔י (be-dam naqí) – Root: דם (dam) + נקי (naqi); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “by shedding innocent blood”; Notes: Highlights the injustice.
- לְהָמִ֥ית (le-hamít) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “by putting to death”; Notes: Expresses intent.
- אֶת־דָּוִ֖ד (ʾet-Dawíd) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with direct object marker; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: The target of Shaʾul’s intent.
- חִנָּֽם (ḥinnam) – Root: חנם (ḥinnam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “without cause”; Notes: Emphasizes the baselessness of killing Dawid.