מַדּ֜וּעַ בָּזִ֣יתָ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות הָרַע֮ בְּעֵינָיו אֵ֣ת אוּרִיָּ֤ה הַֽחִתִּי֙ הִכִּ֣יתָ בַחֶ֔רֶב וְאֶ֨ת־אִשְׁתֹּ֔ו לָקַ֥חְתָּ לְּךָ֖ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְאֹתֹ֣ו הָרַ֔גְתָּ בְּחֶ֖רֶב בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃
Why have you despised the word of YHWH, to do what is evil in His eyes? Uriyya the Ḥitti you struck down with the sword, and his wife you took for yourself as a wife, and him you killed with the sword of the children of ʿAmmon.
Morphology
- מַדּ֜וּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical rebuke.
- בָּזִ֣יתָ (bazita) – Root: בזה (bazah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you despised”; Notes: Refers to treating YHWH’s word with contempt.
- אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר (et-devar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “the word of”; Notes: Construct with next word.
- יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות (laʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Purpose or result of despising the word.
- הָרַע֮ (haraʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Moral wrong in YHWH’s sight.
- בְּעֵינָיו (beʿeinav) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Preposition + noun feminine dual with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in His eyes”; Notes: Indicates divine perspective.
- אֵ֣ת (et) – Form: Direct object marker; Notes: Marks “Uriyyah” as the object of “you struck.”
- אוּרִיָּ֤ה (Uriyyah) – Root: אור (ʾur) or possibly יאר (yaʾar); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Uriyyah”; Notes: The Ḥittite soldier.
- הַֽחִתִּי֙ (ha-Ḥitti) – Root: חת (ḥet); Form: Adjective/noun with definite article; Translation: “the Ḥittite”; Notes: Ethnic designation.
- הִכִּ֣יתָ (hikkita) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you struck down”; Notes: Causative of fatal action.
- בַחֶ֔רֶב (baḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Instrument of death.
- וְאֶ֨ת־אִשְׁתֹּ֔ו (ve-et-ishto) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun feminine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and his wife”; Notes: Refers to Bat-Shevaʿ.
- לָקַ֥חְתָּ (laqakhta) – Root: לקח (laqakh); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you took”; Notes: Act of seizure or acquisition.
- לְּךָ֖ (lekha) – Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Self-serving action.
- לְאִשָּׁ֑ה (le’ishah) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “as a wife”; Notes: Marriage or union.
- וְאֹתֹ֣ו (ve-oto) – Root: את (et); Form: Conjunction + 3rd masculine singular pronominal object; Translation: “and him”; Notes: Refers again to Uriyyah.
- הָרַ֔גְתָּ (haragta) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you killed”; Notes: Direct accusation of murder.
- בְּחֶ֖רֶב (beḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון (bene ʿAmmon) – Roots: בן (ben), עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun plural + proper noun; Translation: “of the children of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Dawid used them as a proxy to achieve Uriyyah’s death.