וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּ עַבְדֵ֤י אָכִישׁ֙ אֵלָ֔יו הֲלֹוא־זֶ֥ה דָוִ֖ד מֶ֣לֶךְ הָאָ֑רֶץ הֲלֹ֣וא לָזֶ֗ה יַעֲנ֤וּ בַמְּחֹלֹות֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הִכָּ֤ה שָׁאוּל֙ בְּאַלְפָו וְדָוִ֖ד בְּרִבְבָתֹֽו׃
And the servants of Akhish said to him, “Is this not Dawid, the king of the land? Is it not for him that they sang in dances, saying, ‘Shaʾul has struck down his thousands, and Dawid his ten thousands’?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּ (vayyōmrū) – Root: אמר (ʾāmar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Narrative verb.
- עַבְדֵ֤י (ʿavdē) – Root: עבד (ʿéved); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the servants of”; Notes: Possessive construct.
- אָכִישׁ֙ (ʾAkhīsh) – Root: אכיש (ʾAkhīsh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Akhish”; Notes: Name of the Philistine king.
- אֵלָ֔יו (ʾēlāw) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Indicating direction.
- הֲלֹוא־זֶ֥ה (halō-zeh) – Root: לא (lō) + זה (zeh); Form: Interrogative + demonstrative pronoun; Translation: “Is this not”; Notes: Rhetorical question.
- דָוִ֖ד (Dāwid) – Root: דוד (Dāwid); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- מֶ֣לֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Title of Dawid.
- הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā-ʾārets) – Root: ארץ (ʾārets); Form: Noun, feminine singular, definite; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halō) – Root: לא (lō); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Is it not”; Notes: Expresses rhetorical emphasis.
- לָזֶ֗ה (lāzeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Preposition + demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “for this one”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- יַעֲנ֤וּ (yaʿanū) – Root: ענה (ʿānāh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they sang”; Notes: Describes celebration.
- בַמְּחֹלֹות֙ (ba-məḥōlōt) – Root: מחול (məḥōl); Form: Preposition + noun, feminine plural, definite; Translation: “in dances”; Notes: Describes mode of celebration.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (lēmōr) – Root: אמר (ʾāmar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces speech.
- הִכָּ֤ה (hikkāh) – Root: נכה (nākhāh); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has struck down”; Notes: Causative form.
- שָׁאוּל֙ (Shaʾul) – Root: שאול (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Refers to King Shaʾul.
- בְּאַלְפָו (bə-ʾalfāv) – Root: אלף (ʾelef); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “his thousands”; Notes: Indicates number of enemies defeated.
- וְדָוִ֖ד (wə-Dāwid) – Root: דוד (Dāwid); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and Dawid”; Notes: Contrasts with Shaʾul.
- בְּרִבְבָתֹֽו׃ (bə-rivvətō) – Root: רבבה (rivvāh); Form: Preposition + noun, feminine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his ten thousands”; Notes: Greater numerical victory attributed to Dawid.