2 Kings 4:30

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֵ֣ם הַנַּ֔עַר חַי־יְהוָ֥ה וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶ֑ךָּ וַיָּ֖קָם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אַחֲרֶֽיהָ׃

And the mother of the boy said, “As YHWH lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and went after her.

Morphology

1. וַתֹּאמֶר (va-toʾmer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: The mother of the boy makes a solemn vow.
2. אֵם (ʾem) – Root: אם; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “mother”; Notes: Identifies the speaker in relation to the boy.
3. הַנַּעַר (ha-naʿar) – Root: נער; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the boy”; Notes: Refers to her son, who has died.
4. חַי־יְהוָה (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה; Form: Adjective + divine name; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: Standard biblical oath formula invoking YHWH’s life.
5. וְחֵי־נַפְשְׁךָ (ve-ḥei-nafshekha) – Root: חיה, נפשׁ; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “and as your soul lives”; Notes: Strengthens the oath by invoking the prophet’s life.
6. אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ (ʾim-eʿezvekha) – Root: עזב; Form: Conditional particle + Qal imperfect 1st person singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I will not leave you”; Notes: Conditional oath with negation implied (i.e., “surely I will not leave you”).
7. וַיָּקָם (va-yaqam) – Root: קום; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “So he arose”; Notes: Elisha responds to her insistence.
8. וַיֵּלֶךְ (va-yelekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he went”; Notes: Continuation of Elisha’s response.
9. אַחֲרֶיהָ (aḥareha) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “after her”; Notes: Indicates Elisha followed the woman on her return journey.