וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֙ל֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל לָ֥מָּה הִרְגַּזְתַּ֖נִי לְהַעֲלֹ֣ות אֹתִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁ֠אוּל צַר־לִ֨י מְאֹ֜ד וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים נִלְחָמִ֣ים בִּ֗י וֵֽאלֹהִ֞ים סָ֤ר מֵֽעָלַי֙ וְלֹֽא־עָנָ֣נִי עֹ֗וד גַּ֤ם בְּיַֽד־הַנְּבִיאִם֙ גַּם־בַּ֣חֲלֹמֹ֔ות וָאֶקְרָאֶ֣ה לְךָ֔ לְהֹודִיעֵ֖נִי מָ֥ה אֶעֱשֶֽׂה׃ ס
And Shemuʾel said to Shaʾul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Shaʾul answered, “I am greatly distressed, for the Pelishtim are fighting against me, and God has departed from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have called you to reveal to me what I should do.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Samuel’s question.
- שְׁמוּאֵ֙ל (Shemuʾel) – Root: שׁמואל (Shemuʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Samuel”; Notes: Refers to the prophet Samuel addressing Shaʾul.
- אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל (el-Shaʾul) – Root: שׁואל (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “to Shaʾul”; Notes: Indicates the person Samuel is addressing.
- לָ֥מָּה (lamah) – Root: למה (lamah); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Samuel’s question to Shaʾul.
- הִרְגַּזְתַּ֖נִי (hirgaztani) – Root: רגז (ragaz); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “you have disturbed me”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul’s action of summoning Samuel from the dead.
- לְהַעֲלֹ֣ות (lehaʿalot) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring up”; Notes: Refers to the act of summoning Samuel.
- אֹתִ֑י (oti) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Samuel being summoned by Shaʾul.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Shaʾul’s response.
- שָׁ֠אוּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שׁואל (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Refers to the king of Yisraʾel.
- צַר־לִ֨י (tsar-li) – Root: צר (tsar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “I am distressed”; Notes: Describes Shaʾul’s extreme distress.
- מְאֹ֜ד (meʾod) – Root: מאד (meʾod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “greatly”; Notes: Emphasizes the intensity of Shaʾul’s distress.
- וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים (u-pleštim) – Root: פלשת (pelishtim); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the Philistines”; Notes: Refers to the enemy nation fighting against Shaʾul.
- נִלְחָמִ֣ים (nilḥamim) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are fighting”; Notes: Describes the ongoing battle against Shaʾul.
- בִּ֗י (bi) – Root: בּ (b); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “against me”; Notes: Indicates that the Philistines are fighting Shaʾul directly.
- וֵֽאלֹהִ֞ים (ve-Elohim) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to God, used here in a singular sense.
- סָ֤ר (sar) – Root: סר (sar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has departed”; Notes: Refers to God’s withdrawal of His presence from Shaʾul.
- מֵֽעָלַי֙ (me-ʿalay) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from me”; Notes: Indicates God’s departure from Shaʾul.
- וְלֹֽא־עָנָ֣נִי (ve-lo-ʿanani) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and answers me no more”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul’s inability to receive God’s guidance.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʾod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “no more”; Notes: Indicates the cessation of God’s communication with Shaʾul.
- גַּ֤ם (gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “also”; Notes: Used to emphasize that Shaʾul received no answer from the prophets either.
- בְּיַֽד־הַנְּבִיאִם (be-yad-ha-neviʾim) – Root: נביא (naviʾ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with preposition; Translation: “by the prophets”; Notes: Refers to the prophets through whom Shaʾul sought divine guidance.
- גַּם־בַּ֣חֲלֹמֹ֔ות (gam-be-ḥalomot) – Root: חלם (ḥalom); Form: Noun, masculine plural with preposition; Translation: “also by dreams”; Notes: Refers to the dreams through which God sometimes communicated.
- וָאֶקְרָאֶ֣ה (va-ʾeqraʾe) – Root: קרא (qaraʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I called”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul calling out to the medium for help.
- לְךָ֔ (lekha) – Root: אתה (atta); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul calling on the medium.
- לְהֹודִיעֵ֖נִי (le-hodiʿeni) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Hifil infinitive with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to reveal to me”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul asking the medium to inform him what to do.
- מָ֥ה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Refers to the question of what Shaʾul should do.
- אֶעֱשֶֽׂה (eʿeseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I should do”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul seeking direction on what action to take.