לֹא־טֹ֞וב הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּה֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂיתָ֒ חַי־יְהוָ֗ה כִּ֤י בְנֵי־מָ֨וֶת֙ אַתֶּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־שְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם עַל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֖ם עַל־מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֑ה וְעַתָּ֣ה רְאֵ֗ה אֵֽי־חֲנִ֥ית הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וְאֶת־צַפַּ֥חַת הַמַּ֖יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר מראשֶׂתו
This thing that you have done is not good! As YHWH lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your lord, the anointed of YHWH. And now, see where is the king’s spear and the jug of water that was at his head?”
Morphology
- לֹא־טֹ֞וב (lo-tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Negative particle with adjective; Translation: “not good”; Notes: Expresses negation of quality.
- הַדָּבָ֣ר (ha-davar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the thing”; Notes: Refers to the action being criticized.
- הַזֶּה֮ (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points to the preceding noun.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a clause modifying “thing.”
- עָשִׂיתָ֒ (asita) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have done”; Notes: Indicates completed action.
- חַי־יְהוָ֗ה (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Interjection; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: An oath formula.
- כִּ֤י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces a reason.
- בְנֵי־מָ֨וֶת֙ (benei-mavet) – Root: בן, מות (ben, mavet); Form: Construct chain, plural noun; Translation: “sons of death”; Notes: A Hebrew idiom meaning “deserving death.”
- אַתֶּ֔ם (attem) – Root: אתם (attem); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Direct address.
- אֲשֶׁ֧ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- לֹֽא־שְׁמַרְתֶּ֛ם (lo-shemartem) – Root: שמר (shamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have not guarded”; Notes: Past completed action.
- עַל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֖ם (ʿal-adoneikhem) – Root: אדן (adon); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “your lord”; Notes: Possessive.
- עַל־מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֑ה (ʿal-meshiʿaḥ YHWH) – Root: משיח (mashiʿaḥ); Form: Noun phrase; Translation: “the anointed of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul.
- וְעַתָּ֣ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Introduces a change in focus.
- רְאֵ֗ה (reʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “see”; Notes: Command.
- אֵֽי־חֲנִ֥ית הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (ei-ḥanit ha-melekh) – Root: חנית (ḥanit), מלך (melek); Form: Interrogative phrase; Translation: “Where is the king’s spear?”; Notes: Question construction.
- וְאֶת־צַפַּ֥חַת הַמַּ֖יִם (ve-et-tsappaḥat ha-mayim) – Root: צפחת, מים (tsappaḥat, mayim); Form: Noun phrase; Translation: “and the jug of water”; Notes: Direct object.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר מראשֶׂתו (asher meroʾshoto) – Root: ראש (roʾsh); Form: Relative clause; Translation: “that was at his head”; Notes: Locative phrase.