וַיְהִ֛י בַּיֹּ֥ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י וַיָּ֣מָת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַיִּֽרְאוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜ד לְהַגִּ֥יד לֹ֣ו כִּי־מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֗לֶד כִּ֤י אָֽמְרוּ֙ הִנֵּה֩ בִהְיֹ֨ות הַיֶּ֜לֶד חַ֗י דִּבַּ֤רְנוּ אֵלָיו֙ וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹולֵ֔נוּ וְאֵ֨יךְ נֹאמַ֥ר אֵלָ֛יו מֵ֥ת הַיֶּ֖לֶד וְעָשָׂ֥ה רָעָֽה׃
And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of Dawid were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to our voice. Then how can we say to him, ‘The child is dead’? He might do something harmful.”
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֛י (vayhi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Typical narrative introduction.
- בַּיֹּ֥ום (bayyom) – Root: יום; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Temporal phrase.
- הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י (hash-sheviʿi) – Root: שבע; Form: Ordinal adjective, masculine singular with article; Translation: “the seventh”; Notes: Modifies “day.”
- וַיָּ֣מָת (vayyamat) – Root: מות; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Refers to the child.
- הַיָּ֑לֶד (hayeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the child”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- וַיִּֽרְאוּ֩ (vayyirʾu) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they saw” or “were afraid”; Notes: Here connotes perception with concern.
- עַבְדֵ֨י (ʿavdei) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “servants of”; Notes: Construct with proper noun “Dawid.”
- דָוִ֜ד (Dawid) – Root: דוד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Object of the construct noun.
- לְהַגִּ֥יד (lehaggid) – Root: נגד; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to tell”; Notes: Purpose of their fear.
- לֹ֣ו (lo) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- כִּי־מֵ֣ת (ki-met) – Root: מות; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that he had died”; Notes: Refers to the child.
- הַיֶּ֗לֶד (hayeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the child”; Notes: Repetition for clarity.
- כִּ֤י אָֽמְרוּ֙ (ki-ʾamru) – Root: אמר; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “for they said”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- הִנֵּה֩ (hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to following clause.
- בִהְיֹ֨ות (bihyot) – Root: היה; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “while being”; Notes: Temporal clause.
- הַיֶּ֜לֶד (hayeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the child”; Notes: Subject of clause.
- חַ֗י (ḥai) – Root: חיה; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “alive”; Notes: Predicate adjective.
- דִּבַּ֤רְנוּ (dibbarnu) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we spoke”; Notes: Refers to earlier failed attempt.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Object of speaking.
- וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע (velo-shamaʿ) – Root: שמע; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he did not listen”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- בְּקֹולֵ֔נוּ (beqolenu) – Root: קול; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 1st person common plural suffix; Translation: “to our voice”; Notes: Instrumental/indirect object.
- וְאֵ֨יךְ (veʾekh) – Root: איך; Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “How”; Notes: Expresses concern or fear.
- נֹאמַ֥ר (noʾmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “shall we say”; Notes: Suggests hesitation.
- אֵלָ֛יו (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- מֵ֥ת (met) – Root: מות; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is dead”; Notes: Declarative verb.
- הַיֶּ֖לֶד (hayeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the child”; Notes: Final repetition for emphasis.
- וְעָשָׂ֥ה (veʿasah) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he would do”; Notes: Potential future consequence.
- רָעָֽה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “harm” or “evil”; Notes: Indicates concern for Dawid’s reaction.