וַתֹּאמֶר֩ יִזְכָּר־נָ֨א הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ מִהַרְבֹּ֛ות גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ לְשַׁחֵ֔ת וְלֹ֥א יַשְׁמִ֖ידוּ אֶת־בְּנִ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה אִם־יִפֹּ֛ל מִשַּׂעֲרַ֥ת בְּנֵ֖ךְ אָֽרְצָה׃
And she said, “Let the king now remember YHWH your God, that the avenger of blood may not multiply to destroy, and that they not destroy my son.” And he said, “As YHWH lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
Morphology
- וַתֹּאמֶר֩ (va-toʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- יִזְכָּר־נָ֨א (yizkar-na) – Root: זכר (zakhar); Form: Qal jussive 3rd person masculine singular + particle of entreaty; Translation: “Let him remember now”; Notes: An appeal to the king to act.
- הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the jussive verb.
- אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה (et-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Accusative marker + proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Object of remembrance.
- אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ (Elohekha) – Root: אלוה (ʾEloah); Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Personal reference to the king’s deity.
- מִהַרְבֹּ֛ות (mi-harbot) – Root: רבה (ravah); Form: Preposition + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “from multiplying”; Notes: Negative purpose construction.
- גֹּאֵ֤ל (goʾel) – Root: גאל (gaʾal); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “the redeemer” or “avenger”; Notes: Refers to the kinsman avenger.
- הַדָּם֙ (ha-dam) – Root: דם (dam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of blood”; Notes: Compound term “avenger of blood.”
- לְשַׁחֵ֔ת (le-shaḥet) – Root: שחת (shaḥat); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to destroy”; Notes: Purpose infinitive.
- וְלֹ֥א (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues previous negative clause.
- יַשְׁמִ֖ידוּ (yashmidu) – Root: שׁמד (shamad); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they destroy”; Notes: Refers to those seeking the son’s life.
- אֶת־בְּנִ֑י (et-beni) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Accusative marker + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my son”; Notes: Direct object of the verb.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces the king’s oath.
- חַי־יְהוָ֔ה (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective masculine singular + divine name; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: Formulaic oath expression.
- אִם־יִפֹּ֛ל (im-yipol) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Conditional particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “not shall fall”; Notes: Used in an oath: “not even shall…”
- מִשַּׂעֲרַ֥ת (mi-saʿarat) – Root: שׂער (saʿar); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “a hair of”; Notes: Expresses even the smallest detail.
- בְּנֵ֖ךְ (benekh) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your son”; Notes: Refers to the woman’s remaining son.
- אָרְֽצָה (artzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular with directional suffix (he locale); Translation: “to the ground”; Notes: Expresses total protection.