וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתָה בַּעֲב֞וּר הַיֶּ֤לֶד חַי֙ צַ֣מְתָּ וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֔לֶד קַ֖מְתָּ וַתֹּ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃
And his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate bread.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech by the servants.
- עֲבָדָיו֙ (ʿavadav) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his servants”; Notes: Plural with pronominal suffix referring to Dawid.
- אֵלָ֔יו (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Directional phrase.
- מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֥ר (mah-haddavar) – Root: מה + דבר; Form: Interrogative + noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “What is the thing”; Notes: Opening of question.
- הַזֶּ֖ה (hazzeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers back to “the thing.”
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- עָשִׂ֑יתָה (ʿasita) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have done”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s actions.
- בַּעֲב֞וּר (baʿavur) – Root: עבר; Form: Preposition; Translation: “for the sake of”; Notes: Causal expression.
- הַיֶּ֤לֶד (hayeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the child”; Notes: Subject of the next clause.
- חַי֙ (ḥay) – Root: חי; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “alive”; Notes: Refers to the child’s state.
- צַ֣מְתָּ (tsamta) – Root: צום; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you fasted”; Notes: Religious mourning practice.
- וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ (vatēvkh) – Root: בכה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you wept”; Notes: Emotional response to the child’s condition.
- וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ (vekaʾasher) – Root: כאשר; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but when”; Notes: Introduces a temporal contrast.
- מֵ֣ת (met) – Root: מות; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “died”; Notes: Completed action.
- הַיֶּ֔לֶד (hayeled) – Root: ילד; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the child”; Notes: Subject of “died.”
- קַ֖מְתָּ (qamta) – Root: קום; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you arose”; Notes: Physical and metaphorical recovery.
- וַתֹּ֥אכַל (vattoʾkhal) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you ate”; Notes: Return to ordinary life.
- לָֽחֶם (laḥem) – Root: לחם; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Symbolizes normal eating or sustenance.