וְלֹֽא־אָבָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לְהַשְׁחִ֣ית אֶת־יְהוּדָ֔ה לְמַ֖עַן דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדֹּ֑ו כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־לֹ֗ו לָתֵ֨ת לֹ֥ו נִ֛יר לְבָנָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
But YHWH was not willing to destroy Yehuda, for the sake of Dawid His servant, as He had said to him to give to him a lamp for his sons all the days.
Morphology
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “But not”; Notes: Introduces divine restraint.
- אָבָה (avah) – Root: אבה; Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “was willing”; Notes: Expresses divine volition.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant God of Yisraʾel.
- לְהַשְׁחִית (le-hashḥit) – Root: שׁחת; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to destroy”; Notes: Indicates what YHWH refrained from doing.
- אֶת־יְהוּדָה (et-Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Definite direct object; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom.
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען; Form: Preposition; Translation: “for the sake of”; Notes: Indicates motive.
- דָּוִד (Dawid) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: The foundational king of the dynasty.
- עַבְדּוֹ (avdo) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His servant”; Notes: A term of covenant loyalty.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Comparative conjunction; Translation: “as”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause of reason.
- אָמַר־לוֹ (amar-lo) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3ms + 3ms suffix; Translation: “He had said to him”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s promise to Dawid.
- לָתֵת (latet) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to give”; Notes: Purpose of YHWH’s statement.
- לוֹ (lo) – Root: הוא; Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers again to Dawid.
- נִיר (nir) – Root: ניר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a lamp”; Notes: Symbol of enduring kingship or dynasty.
- לְבָנָיו (le-vanav) – Root: בן; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural + 3ms suffix; Translation: “for his sons”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s descendants.
- כָּל־הַיָּמִים (kol-ha-yamim) – Root: יום; Form: Construct noun + definite plural noun; Translation: “all the days”; Notes: Idiom meaning “forever” or for a long duration.