וַיַּ֨עַן שָׁא֜וּל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲלֹ֨וא בֶן־יְמִינִ֤י אָ֨נֹכִי֙ מִקַּטַנֵּי֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ הַצְּעִרָ֔ה מִכָּֽל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ות שִׁבְטֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֑ן וְלָ֨מָּה֙ דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ אֵלַ֔י כַּדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃ ס
And Shaʾul answered and said, “Am I not a Binyamini, from the least of the tribes of Yisraʾel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Binyamin? And why have you spoken to me according to this word?”
Morphology
- וַיַּ֨עַן (vayyaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿ-n-h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Indicates a narrative sequence.
- שָׁא֜וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שׁאל (sh-ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Name of the speaker.
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הֲלֹ֨וא (halo) – Root: הלוא (halo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Am I not”; Notes: Used to introduce rhetorical questions.
- בֶן־יְמִינִ֤י (ven-Yemini) – Root: ימן (y-m-n); Form: Noun, masculine singular in construct form; Translation: “a Binyamini”; Notes: Refers to a member of the tribe of Binyamin.
- אָ֨נֹכִי֙ (ʾanokhi) – Root: אנך (ʾ-n-k); Form: Independent pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Emphatic form of “I”.
- מִקַּטַנֵּי֙ (mi-qatanei) – Root: קטן (q-t-n); Form: Adjective, masculine plural in construct form; Translation: “from the least”; Notes: Indicates being part of the smallest group.
- שִׁבְטֵ֣י (shivtei) – Root: שבט (sh-b-t); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “of the tribes”; Notes: Modifies “Yisraʾel”.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation.
- וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙ (u-mishpaḥti) – Root: משפחה (m-sh-p-ḥ); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and my family”; Notes: Indicates possession.
- הַצְּעִרָ֔ה (ha-tzeʿirah) – Root: צעיר (tz-ʿ-r); Form: Adjective, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the least”; Notes: Superlative form.
- מִכָּֽל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ות (mi-kol mishpeḥot) – Root: משפחה (m-sh-p-ḥ); Form: Noun, feminine plural in construct with “kol”; Translation: “of all the families”; Notes: Generalizing statement.
- שִׁבְטֵ֣י (shivtei) – Root: שבט (sh-b-t); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “of the tribes”; Notes: Specifies the broader group.
- בִנְיָמִ֑ן (Binyamin) – Root: בנימין (b-n-y-m-n); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Binyamin”; Notes: Name of the tribe.
- וְלָ֨מָּה֙ (ve-lamah) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Interrogative pronoun with preposition; Translation: “And why”; Notes: Expresses inquiry.
- דִּבַּ֣רְתָּ (dibarta) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “have you spoken”; Notes: Intensive form.
- אֵלַ֔י (ʾelai) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates the recipient.
- כַּדָּבָ֖ר (ka-davar) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “according to this word”; Notes: Compares the speech.
- הַזֶּֽה (hazzeh) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Emphasizes what was spoken.