וְהַנַּ֧עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל מְשָׁרֵ֥ת אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י עֵלִ֑י וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה הָיָ֤ה יָקָר֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין חָזֹ֖ון נִפְרָֽץ׃ ס
And the young boy Shemuʾel ministered before YHWH in the presence of ʿEli, and the word of YHWH was rare in those days; there was no widespread vision.
Morphology
- וְהַנַּ֧עַר (ve-ha-naʿar) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “And the young boy”; Notes: Refers to Shemuʾel in his youth.
- שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל (Shemuʾel) – Root: שׁמוּאֵל (Shemuʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shemuʾel”; Notes: Refers to the prophet.
- מְשָׁרֵ֥ת (meshareit) – Root: שרת (sharat); Form: Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “ministering”; Notes: Indicates continual service.
- אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה (et-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “before YHWH”; Notes: Refers to divine service.
- לִפְנֵ֣י (lifnei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates direct service.
- עֵלִ֑י (ʿEli) – Root: עלי (ʿEli); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “ʿEli”; Notes: Refers to the high priest.
- וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה (u-devar-YHWH) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and the word of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to divine communication.
- הָיָ֤ה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Describes a past condition.
- יָקָר֙ (yaqar) – Root: יקר (yaqar); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “rare”; Notes: Indicates scarcity.
- בַּיָּמִ֣ים (ba-yamim) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “in those days”; Notes: Refers to a specific historical period.
- הָהֵ֔ם (hahem) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “those”; Notes: Modifies “days.”
- אֵ֥ין (ein) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “there was no”; Notes: Denotes absence.
- חָזֹ֖ון (ḥazon) – Root: חזה (ḥazah); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “vision”; Notes: Refers to prophetic revelation.
- נִפְרָֽץ (nifrats) – Root: פרץ (parats); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “widespread”; Notes: Indicates infrequency.