וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֽׂימָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִֽם׃
And they said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now, appoint for us a king to judge us, like all the nations.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (vayyoʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Action of speaking.
- אֵלָ֗יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Indicates direction.
- הִנֵּה֙ (hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Expresses attention.
- אַתָּ֣ה (attah) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- זָקַ֔נְתָּ (zaqanta) – Root: זקן (zaqan); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you are old”; Notes: Describes aging.
- וּבָנֶ֕יךָ (u-vanekha) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and your sons”; Notes: Refers to Shemuʾel’s sons.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- הָלְכ֖וּ (halekhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “walked”; Notes: Denotes behavior.
- בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ (bi-darkekha) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in your ways”; Notes: Indicates manner of conduct.
- עַתָּ֗ה (ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Introduces immediate action.
- שִֽׂימָה־ (simah) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular with cohortative suffix; Translation: “Appoint”; Notes: Command form.
- לָּ֥נוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (l-); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “for us”; Notes: Indicates the recipients.
- מֶ֛לֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a king”; Notes: Desired role.
- לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ (le-shofteinu) – Root: שפט (shafat); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition and 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to judge us”; Notes: Specifies function.
- כְּכָל־ (ke-khol) – Root: כל (khol); Form: Preposition with noun in construct; Translation: “like all”; Notes: Comparative phrase.
- הַגֹּויִֽם (ha-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Noun, masculine plural definite; Translation: “the nations”; Notes: Refers to surrounding peoples.