וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אִם־יְהוָ֖ה יִגָּפֶ֑נּוּ אֹֽו־יֹומֹ֤ו יָבֹוא֙ וָמֵ֔ת אֹ֧ו בַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה יֵרֵ֖ד וְנִסְפָּֽה׃
And Dawid said, “As YHWH lives, unless YHWH strikes him, or his day comes and he dies, or he goes down in battle and perishes.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- דָּוִד֙ (Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- חַי־יְהוָ֔ה (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Interjection with divine name; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: A solemn oath formula.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- אִם־יְהוָ֖ה (im-YHWH) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle with divine name; Translation: “unless YHWH”; Notes: Sets the condition.
- יִגָּפֶ֑נּוּ (yiggafennu) – Root: נגע (nagaʿ); Form: Nifʿal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “strikes him”; Notes: Passive voice.
- אֹֽו־יֹומֹ֤ו (o-yomo) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “or his day”; Notes: Refers to the time of death.
- יָבֹוא֙ (yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “comes”; Notes: Future action.
- וָמֵ֔ת (va-met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he dies”; Notes: Sequential action.
- אֹ֧ו (o) – Root: או (o); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “or”; Notes: Alternative condition.
- בַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה (ba-milḥamah) – Root: מלחמה (milḥamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “in battle”; Notes: Indicates circumstance.
- יֵרֵ֖ד (yered) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he goes down”; Notes: Future possibility.
- וְנִסְפָּֽה׃ (ve-nispah) – Root: ספה (safah); Form: Nifʿal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and perishes”; Notes: Passive consequence.