וַיַּעַן֩ דָּוִ֨ד אֶת־הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֹ֗ו כִּ֣י אִם־אִשָּׁ֤ה עֲצֻֽרָה־לָ֨נוּ֙ כִּתְמֹ֣ול שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם בְּצֵאתִ֕י וַיִּהְי֥וּ כְלֵֽי־הַנְּעָרִ֖ים קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְהוּא֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ חֹ֔ל וְאַ֕ף כִּ֥י הַיֹּ֖ום יִקְדַּ֥שׁ בַּכֶּֽלִי׃
And Dawid answered the priest and said to him, “Surely, a woman has been kept from us as yesterday and the day before, when I went out, and the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was a common journey. How much more today, then, will it be sanctified in the vessel?”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן֩ (vayyaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Narrative verb.
- דָּוִ֨ד (Dāwid) – Root: דוד (Dāwid); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- אֶת־הַכֹּהֵ֜ן (ʾet-ha-kōhēn) – Root: כהן (kōhēn); Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: Refers to Aḥimelekh.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Continues the narrative.
- לֹ֗ו (lō) – Root: ל (l) + הוא (hū); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks recipient.
- כִּ֣י אִם (kī ʾim) – Root: כי (kī) + אם (ʾim); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Affirmation of a fact.
- אִשָּׁ֤ה (ʾishshāh) – Root: אשה (ʾishshāh); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “a woman”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- עֲצֻֽרָה־לָ֨נוּ֙ (ʿatsurāh-lānū) – Root: עצר (ʿatsar); Form: Qal passive participle, feminine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “has been kept from us”; Notes: Expresses restriction.
- כִּתְמֹ֣ול שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם (kitmol shilshom) – Root: תמול (təmol) + שלשום (shilshom); Form: Adverbial phrase; Translation: “as yesterday and the day before”; Notes: Expresses continuity.
- בְּצֵאתִ֕י (bətseʾtī) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal infinitive construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “when I went out”; Notes: Expresses past action.
- וַיִּהְי֥וּ (vayyihyū) – Root: היה (hāyāh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they were”; Notes: Describes state of objects.
- כְלֵֽי־הַנְּעָרִ֖ים (klē-ha-neʿārīm) – Root: כלי (klī) + נער (naʿar); Form: Construct noun + noun, masculine plural, definite; Translation: “the vessels of the young men”; Notes: Refers to their equipment.
- קֹ֑דֶשׁ (qōdesh) – Root: קדש (qōdesh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Describes sacred status.
- וְהוּא֙ (wəhūʾ) – Root: הוא (hū); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “though it”; Notes: Refers to the journey.
- דֶּ֣רֶךְ חֹ֔ל (derek ḥōl) – Root: דרך (derek) + חל (ḥōl); Form: Noun, masculine singular + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a common journey”; Notes: Indicates ordinary travel.
- וְאַ֕ף (wəʾaf) – Root: אף (ʾaf); Form: Adverb; Translation: “how much more”; Notes: Strengthens argument.
- כִּ֥י הַיֹּ֖ום (kī ha-yōm) – Root: כי (kī) + יום (yōm); Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “today”; Notes: Temporal reference.
- יִקְדַּ֥שׁ (yiqdash) – Root: קדש (qādash); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “will be sanctified”; Notes: Future expectation.
- בַּכֶּֽלִי׃ (ba-kelī) – Root: כלי (kelī); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “in the vessel”; Notes: Refers to sacred utensils.