וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֜ון אֶל־חָנ֣וּן אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֗ם הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤ד אֶת־אָבִ֨יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַֽחֲמִ֑ים הֲ֠לֹוא בַּעֲב֞וּר חֲקֹ֤ור אֶת־הָעִיר֙ וּלְרַגְּלָ֣הּ וּלְהָפְכָ֔הּ שָׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
And the princes of the sons of ʿAmmon said to Ḥanun their lord, “Is Dawid honoring your father in your eyes, that he has sent comforters to you? Is it not in order to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it that Dawid has sent his servants to you?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Narrates what the princes said.
- שָׂרֵ֨י (sarei) – Root: שרר (sar); Form: Masculine plural construct; Translation: “princes of”; Notes: Construct with the following noun.
- בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֜ון (benei-ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (ben), עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Genitive relationship.
- אֶל־חָנ֣וּן (el-Ḥanun) – Root: אל (ʾel), חנן (Ḥanun); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Ḥanun”; Notes: Addressed recipient.
- אֲדֹנֵיהֶ֗ם (adonēhem) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their lord”; Notes: Indicates Ḥanun’s status.
- הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד (hamekhabbēd) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with article; Translation: “honoring”; Notes: Describes an action attributed to Dawid.
- דָּוִ֤ד (Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Subject of the participle.
- אֶת־אָבִ֨יךָ֙ (et-avikha) – Root: אב (av); Form: Definite direct object marker + noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Object of “honoring.”
- בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ (beʿeineikha) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Preposition + dual noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in your eyes”; Notes: Idiomatic for “do you think.”
- כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח (ki-shalaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Causal conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that he has sent”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- לְךָ֖ (lekha) – Root: לך (lakh); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Recipient of messengers.
- מְנַֽחֲמִ֑ים (menaḥamim) – Root: נחם (naḥam); Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “comforters”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s envoys.
- הֲ֠לֹוא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative + negative particle; Translation: “is it not”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
- בַּעֲב֞וּר (baʿavur) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order to” / “for the sake of”; Notes: Expresses purpose.
- חֲקֹ֤ור (ḥakor) – Root: חקר (ḥaqar); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “to search”; Notes: First in a series of purpose clauses.
- אֶת־הָעִיר֙ (et-haʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Definite direct object marker + noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Object of the verb “to search.”
- וּלְרַגְּלָ֣הּ (uliraggelah) – Root: רגל (ragal); Form: Preposition + Piel infinitive construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and to spy it out”; Notes: Refers to military espionage.
- וּלְהָפְכָ֔הּ (ulehafkhah) – Root: הפך (hafakh); Form: Preposition + Hifil infinitive construct + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and to overthrow it”; Notes: Suggests destructive intent.
- שָׁלַ֥ח (shalaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he sent”; Notes: Repeats main verb for emphasis.
- דָּוִ֛ד (Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו (et-ʿavadav) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Definite direct object marker + noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his servants”; Notes: Object of the verb.
- אֵלֶֽיךָ (eleikha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates direction of action.