וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־לִבֹּ֔ו עַתָּ֛ה אֶסָּפֶ֥ה יֹום־אֶחָ֖ד בְּיַד־שָׁא֑וּל אֵֽין־לִ֨י טֹ֜וב כִּ֣י הִמָּלֵ֥ט אִמָּלֵ֣ט אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וְנֹואַ֨שׁ מִמֶּ֤נִּי שָׁאוּל֙ לְבַקְשֵׁ֤נִי עֹוד֙ בְּכָל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְנִמְלַטְתִּ֖י מִיָּדֹֽו׃
And Dawid said to his heart, “Now I shall be swept away one day by the hand of Sha’ul; there is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Pelishtim, and Sha’ul will despair of searching for me any longer within all the borders of Yisra’el, and I shall escape from his hand.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾmr); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative past tense.
- דָּוִד֙ (David) – Root: דוד (Dwd); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “David”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- אֶל־לִבֹּ֔ו (el-libbo) – Root: לב (lb); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his heart”; Notes: Indicates internal speech or reflection.
- עַתָּ֛ה (ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿth); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Introduces the immediacy of the statement.
- אֶסָּפֶ֥ה (ʾessafeh) – Root: אסף (ʾsf); Form: Nifal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I shall be swept away”; Notes: Nifal conveys a passive or reflexive nuance.
- יֹום־אֶחָ֖ד (yom-eḥad) – Root: יום (ywm) + אחד (ʾḥd); Form: Noun, masculine singular + numeral; Translation: “one day”; Notes: Expresses an unspecified future time.
- בְּיַד־שָׁא֑וּל (be-yad-Sha’ul) – Root: יד (yd) + שאול (Šʾl); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “by the hand of Sha’ul”; Notes: “Hand” symbolizes power or control.
- אֵֽין־לִ֨י (ʾein-li) – Root: אין (ʾyn); Form: Negative particle + preposition; Translation: “there is nothing for me”; Notes: Denotes lack or absence.
- טֹ֜וב (tov) – Root: טוב (ṭwb); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “better”; Notes: Comparative meaning implied.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (kī); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “than”; Notes: Introduces a reason or comparison.
- הִמָּלֵ֥ט (himmalet) – Root: מלט (mlṭ); Form: Nifal infinitive absolute; Translation: “escape”; Notes: The infinitive absolute intensifies the following verb.
- אִמָּלֵ֣ט (ʾimmalet) – Root: מלט (mlṭ); Form: Nifal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I shall escape”; Notes: Reiterates the action for emphasis.
- אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים (ʾel-ʾerets Pelishtim) – Root: ארץ (ʾrṣ) + פלשתים (Plštīm); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “to the land of the Pelishtim”; Notes: Indicates a foreign territory.
- וְנֹואַ֨שׁ (ve-noʾash) – Root: יאש (yʾš); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he will despair”; Notes: Predicts Sha’ul’s reaction.
- מִמֶּ֤נִּי (mimmmeni) – Root: מן (mn); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “of me”; Notes: Expresses separation.
- שָׁאוּל֙ (Sha’ul) – Root: שאול (Šʾl); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Sha’ul”; Notes: Refers to King Saul.
- לְבַקְשֵׁ֤נִי (levaksheni) – Root: בקש (bqš); Form: Piel infinitive construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to seek me”; Notes: Piel intensifies the action.
- בְּכָל־גְּב֣וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (be-khol-gevul Yisra’el) – Root: גבול (gbwl); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “within all the borders of Yisra’el”; Notes: Indicates an extensive search area.
- וְנִמְלַטְתִּ֖י (ve-nimlatti) – Root: מלט (mlṭ); Form: Nifal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I shall escape”; Notes: Emphasizing deliverance.
- מִיָּדֹֽו׃ (mi-yado) – Root: יד (yd); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his hand”; Notes: Denotes deliverance from Sha’ul’s power.