וַיַּ֡עַן יֹונָדָ֣ב בֶּן־שִׁמְעָ֨ה אֲחִֽי־דָוִ֜ד וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־יֹאמַ֤ר אֲדֹנִי֙ אֵ֣ת כָּל־הַנְּעָרִ֤ים בְּנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ הֵמִ֔יתוּ כִּֽי־אַמְנֹ֥ון לְבַדֹּ֖ו מֵ֑ת כִּֽי־עַל־פִּ֤י אַבְשָׁלֹום֙ הָיְתָ֣ה שׂוּמָ֔ה מִיֹּום֙ עַנֹּתֹ֔ו אֵ֖ת תָּמָ֥ר אֲחֹתֹֽו׃
And Yonadav son of Shimʿa, Dawid’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord say they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Avshalom this has been determined from the day he violated Tamar his sister.
Morphology
- וַיַּ֡עַן (va-yaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces a response.
- יֹונָדָ֣ב (Yonadav) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular proper name; Translation: “Yonadav”; Notes: Nephew of Dawid, son of Shimʿa.
- בֶּן־שִׁמְעָ֨ה (ben-Shimʿa) – Root: בן (ben) + שמעא (Shimʿa); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “son of Shimʿa”; Notes: Identifies Yonadav’s lineage.
- אֲחִֽי־דָוִ֜ד (ʾaḥi-Dawid) – Root: אח (ʾaḥ) + דוד (Dawid); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “brother of Dawid”; Notes: Shimʿa is Dawid’s brother.
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Continues Yonadav’s speech.
- אַל־יֹאמַ֤ר (ʾal-yomar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Negative particle + Qal jussive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “let not say”; Notes: Polite negation or plea.
- אֲדֹנִי֙ (ʾadoni) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Address to King Dawid.
- אֵ֣ת כָּל־הַנְּעָרִ֤ים (et kol-ha-neʿarim) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Accusative marker + noun in construct + definite masculine plural; Translation: “all the young men”; Notes: Object of “they have killed.”
- בְּנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (benei-ha-melekh) – Root: בן (ben) + מלך (melekh); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “sons of the king”; Notes: Specifies the young men referenced.
- הֵמִ֔יתוּ (hemitu) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have killed”; Notes: Refers to the alleged action.
- כִּֽי־אַמְנֹ֥ון (ki-ʾAmnon) – Root: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “for Amnon”; Notes: Begins correction to misinformation.
- לְבַדֹּ֖ו (levaddo) – Root: בדד (badad); Form: Preposition + noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “alone”; Notes: Emphasizes only Amnon is dead.
- מֵ֑ת (met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is dead”; Notes: Past event stated as fact.
- כִּֽי־עַל־פִּ֤י (ki-ʿal-pi) – Root: פי (peh); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “for by the mouth of”; Notes: Idiom meaning “by the command of.”
- אַבְשָׁלֹום֙ (Avshalom) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular proper name; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: Subject of the planning.
- הָיְתָ֣ה (hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “there was”; Notes: Feminine because the subject is “plan” (שׂוּמָה).
- שׂוּמָ֔ה (sumah) – Root: שים (sim); Form: Noun feminine singular passive participle; Translation: “a determination / a plan”; Notes: A set decision or appointment.
- מִיֹּום֙ (mi-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the day”; Notes: Indicates starting point of intention.
- עַנֹּתֹ֔ו (ʿanoto) – Root: ענה (ʿinah); Form: Qal infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “he violated her”; Notes: Refers to Amnon’s act against Tamar.
- אֵ֖ת תָּמָ֥ר (et-Tamar) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Accusative marker + proper name; Translation: “Tamar”; Notes: The victim of the assault.
- אֲחֹתֹֽו (aḥoto) – Root: אחות (aḥot); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his sister”; Notes: Clarifies the relationship.