וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ עַבְדֵי֩ אַבְשָׁלֹ֨ום אֶֽל־הָאִשָּׁ֜ה הַבַּ֗יְתָה וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אַיֵּ֗ה אֲחִימַ֨עַץ֙ וִיהֹ֣ונָתָ֔ן וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה עָבְר֖וּ מִיכַ֣ל הַמָּ֑יִם וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֔אוּ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ ס
And the servants of Avshalom came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Aḥimaʿats and Yehonatan?” And the woman said to them, “They have passed over the water channel.” And they searched and did not find them, and they returned to Yerushalayim.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (vayyavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “And they came”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- עַבְדֵי֩ (ʿavdei) – Root: עבד; Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “servants of”; Notes: Construct chain with the name that follows.
- אַבְשָׁלֹ֨ום (Avshalom) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: Son of Dawid, leading the rebellion.
- אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֜ה (el-haʾishah) – Root: אשה; Form: Preposition + definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “to the woman”; Notes: Refers to the one who hid the messengers.
- הַבַּ֗יְתָה (hab-baytah) – Root: בית; Form: Definite noun + directive he; Translation: “to the house”; Notes: Indicates direction; their arrival at her home.
- וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “and they said”; Notes: Common narrative verb.
- אַיֵּ֗ה (ayyeh) – Root: Interrogative; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Where is…?”; Notes: Seeks location of persons.
- אֲחִימַ֨עַץ (Aḥimaʿats) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Aḥimaʿats”; Notes: Son of Tsadoq.
- וִיהֹ֣ונָתָ֔ן (vi-Yehonatan) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Yehonatan”; Notes: Son of Evyatar.
- וַתֹּ֤אמֶר (vattomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “and she said”; Notes: The woman’s response.
- לָהֶם֙ (lahem) – Root: הם; Form: Preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indirect object of the speech.
- הָאִשָּׁ֔ה (haʾishah) – Root: אשה; Form: Definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the woman”; Notes: Subject of the previous verb.
- עָבְר֖וּ (ʿavru) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “they passed over”; Notes: Refers to the escape route.
- מִיכַ֣ל הַמָּ֑יִם (mikhal ha-mayim) – Root: יכל or borrowed form; Form: Noun + definite noun; Translation: “the water channel”; Notes: Possibly referring to a ravine or stream.
- וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ (vayevakshu) – Root: בקש; Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “and they searched”; Notes: Intensive form of seeking.
- וְלֹ֣א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Denotes failure of the search.
- מָצָ֔אוּ (matsaʾu) – Root: מצא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “they found”; Notes: Negative result of the search.
- וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ (vayyashuvu) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “and they returned”; Notes: Concludes the episode of the pursuers.
- יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם (Yerushalayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine singular; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: Capital city; Avshalom’s location.