מִֽי־הִכָּ֞ה אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֣לֶךְ בֶּן־יְרֻבֶּ֗שֶׁת הֲלֹֽוא־אִשָּׁ֡ה הִשְׁלִ֣יכָה עָלָיו֩ פֶּ֨לַח רֶ֜כֶב מֵעַ֤ל הַֽחֹומָה֙ וַיָּ֣מָת בְּתֵבֵ֔ץ לָ֥מָּה נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֖ם אֶל־הַֽחֹומָ֑ה וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ גַּ֗ם עַבְדְּךָ֛ אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַחִתִּ֖י מֵֽת׃
Who struck Avimelekh son of Yerubbeshet? Did not a woman throw upon him a piece of a millstone from atop the wall, so that he died in Tevets? Why did you draw near to the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Also your servant Uriyya the Ḥittite is dead.’”
Morphology
- מִֽי־ (mi) – Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical historical question.
- הִכָּ֞ה (hikkah) – Root: נכה (nakhah); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “struck”; Notes: Refers to the death blow dealt to Avimelekh.
- אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֣לֶךְ (et-Avimelekh) – Root: אבימלך (Avimelekh); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Avimelekh”; Notes: Historical reference from Judges 9.
- בֶּן־יְרֻבֶּ֗שֶׁת (ben-Yerubbeshet) – Roots: בן (ben), ירבעל (Yerubbaʿal altered to Yerubbeshet); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Yerubbeshet”; Notes: Euphemism for Yerubbaʿal, father of Avimelekh.
- הֲלֹֽוא־ (halo) – Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Did not”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical proof.
- אִשָּׁ֡ה (ishah) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a woman”; Notes: Subject of the next verb.
- הִשְׁלִ֣יכָה (hishlikhah) – Root: שלך (shalakh); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “threw”; Notes: Refers to the woman’s action in Tevets.
- עָלָיו֩ (ʿalav) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon him”; Notes: Refers to Avimelekh.
- פֶּ֨לַח רֶ֜כֶב (pelaḥ rekev) – Roots: פלח (pelaḥ), רכב (rekhev); Form: Noun construct; Translation: “a piece of a millstone”; Notes: Heavy grinding stone used as a weapon here.
- מֵעַ֤ל הַֽחֹומָה֙ (meʿal ha-ḥomah) – Root: על (ʿal), חומה (ḥomah); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “from atop the wall”; Notes: Common defensive posture.
- וַיָּ֣מָת (vayyamat) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Refers to Avimelekh’s death.
- בְּתֵבֵ֔ץ (be-Tevets) – Root: תבץ (Tevets); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Tevets”; Notes: The location of the event.
- לָ֥מָּה (lammah) – Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces critical inquiry.
- נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֖ם (niggash’tem) – Root: נגשׁ (nigash); Form: Nifal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “did you draw near”; Notes: Directed at those who approached the city wall.
- אֶל־הַֽחֹומָ֑ה (el-ha-ḥomah) – Root: חומה (ḥomah); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the wall”; Notes: Emphasizing the tactical error.
- וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then you shall say”; Notes: Future statement as part of instruction.
- גַּ֗ם (gam) – Form: Adverb; Translation: “also”; Notes: Adds emphasis.
- עַבְדְּךָ֛ (ʿavdekha) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Construct noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Refers to Uriyyah.
- אוּרִיָּ֥ה (Uriyyah) – Root: אוריה (Uriyyah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Uriyyah”; Notes: The Ḥittite soldier.
- הַחִתִּ֖י (ha-ḥitti) – Root: חתי (ḥitti); Form: Gentilic noun with definite article; Translation: “the Ḥittite”; Notes: His ethnic designation.
- מֵֽת (met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is dead”; Notes: Concluding statement to be relayed to Dawid.