וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹונָתָ֜ן אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כִּֽי־אֶחְקֹ֣ר אֶת־אָבִ֗י כָּעֵ֤ת מָחָר֙ הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֔ית וְהִנֵּה־טֹ֖וב אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וְלֹֽא־אָז֙ אֶשְׁלַ֣ח אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְגָלִ֖יתִי אֶת־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃
And Yehonatan said to Dawid, “YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel! When I investigate my father at this time tomorrow, or on the third day, and behold, if it is good for Dawid, then will I not send to you and disclose it to your ear?
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular, Qal; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Yehonatan’s speech.
- יְהֹונָתָ֜ן (Yehonatan) – Root: יהונתן (Yehonatan); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yehonatan”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד (el-Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: Indicating the addressee.
- יְהוָ֞ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- אֱלֹהֵ֤י (ʾElohei) – Root: אלהים (ʾElohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Describes the deity of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation.
- כִּֽי־אֶחְקֹ֣ר (ki-ʾeḥqor) – Root: חקר (ḥaqor); Form: Conjunction + imperfect 1st person singular, Qal; Translation: “when I investigate”; Notes: Introduces the action of searching.
- אֶת־אָבִ֗י (et-avi) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul.
- כָּעֵ֤ת (kaʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “at this time”; Notes: Specifies timing.
- מָחָר֙ (maḥar) – Root: מחר (maḥar); Form: Adverb; Translation: “tomorrow”; Notes: Specifies the timeframe.
- הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֔ית (ha-shelishit) – Root: שלש (shalosh); Form: Adjective, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the third”; Notes: Refers to the third day.
- וְהִנֵּה־טֹ֖וב (ve-hinneh-tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Interjection + adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “and behold, if good”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד (el-Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “for Dawid”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of good news.
- וְלֹֽא־אָז֙ (ve-lo-ʾaz) – Root: אז (ʾaz); Form: Conjunction with negative particle + adverb; Translation: “then will I not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- אֶשְׁלַ֣ח (eshlakh) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Imperfect 1st person singular, Qal; Translation: “I send”; Notes: Refers to an act of communication.
- אֵלֶ֔יךָ (elekha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- וְגָלִ֖יתִי (ve-galiti) – Root: גלה (galah); Form: Conjunctive vav + perfect 1st person singular, Hiphil; Translation: “and I will disclose”; Notes: Indicates making something known.
- אֶת־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ (et-oznekha) – Root: אזן (ʾozen); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to your ear”; Notes: A Hebrew idiom meaning “to inform you.”