וְעַתָּ֣ה מֵ֗ת לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י צָ֔ם הַאוּכַ֥ל לַהֲשִׁיבֹ֖ו עֹ֑וד אֲנִי֙ הֹלֵ֣ךְ אֵלָ֔יו וְה֖וּא לֹֽא־יָשׁ֥וּב אֵלָֽי׃
But now he is dead—why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me.”
Morphology
- וְעַתָּ֣ה (veʿattah) – Root: עתה; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Introduces a conclusion or shift in reasoning.
- מֵ֗ת (met) – Root: מות; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he is dead”; Notes: Refers to the deceased child.
- לָ֤מָּה (lammah) – Root: למה; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- זֶּה֙ (zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the behavior of fasting.
- אֲנִ֣י (ʾani) – Root: אנכי/אני; Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes the speaker.
- צָ֔ם (tsam) – Root: צום; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am fasting”; Notes: Refers to ongoing action.
- הַאוּכַ֥ל (haʾukhal) – Root: יכל; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person masculine singular with interrogative prefix; Translation: “Can I”; Notes: Introduces a hypothetical or rhetorical question.
- לַהֲשִׁיבֹ֖ו (lahăshivō) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Hifil infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to bring him back”; Notes: Indicates causative sense.
- עֹ֑וד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Temporal emphasis.
- אֲנִי֙ (ʾani) – Root: אנכי/אני; Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “I”; Notes: Subject of the following verb.
- הֹלֵ֣ךְ (holekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am going”; Notes: Indicates the inevitable progression toward death.
- אֵלָ֔יו (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the child in Sheʾol.
- וְה֖וּא (vehu) – Root: הוא; Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “but he”; Notes: Subject of the following verb.
- לֹֽא־יָשׁ֥וּב (lo-yashuv) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with negation; Translation: “will not return”; Notes: Emphasizes finality of death.
- אֵלָֽי (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Concludes the contrast with Dawid’s own fate.