וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וְלָ֧מָּה חָשַׁ֛בְתָּה כָּזֹ֖את עַל־עַ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמִדַּבֵּ֨ר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ כְּאָשֵׁ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֛י הָשִׁ֥יב הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶֽת־נִדְּחֹֽו׃
And the woman said, “Then why have you thought such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word, the king is like one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.
Morphology
- וַתֹּ֨אמֶר (va-toʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Narrative continuation of the woman’s speech.
- הָאִשָּׁ֔ה (ha-ishah) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the woman”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- וְלָ֧מָּה (ve-lamah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Conjunction + interrogative; Translation: “And why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- חָשַׁ֛בְתָּה (ḥashavta) – Root: חשב (ḥashav); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “have you thought”; Notes: Addressing the king directly.
- כָּזֹ֖את (kazot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “such a thing”; Notes: Feminine form agreeing with implied subject.
- עַל־עַ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים (ʿal-ʿam Elohim) – Root: עם (ʿam), אלוה (ʾElohim); Form: Preposition + construct chain; Translation: “against the people of God”; Notes: Rebuke directed at the implications of the king’s actions.
- וּמִדַּבֵּ֨ר (u-midabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Conjunction + Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “and in speaking”; Notes: Describes the act of the king declaring his decision.
- הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the infinitive phrase.
- הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ (ha-davar ha-zeh) – Root: דבר (davar), זה (zeh); Form: Definite noun + demonstrative adjective; Translation: “this word”; Notes: Refers to the prior royal declaration.
- כְּאָשֵׁ֔ם (ke-ashem) – Root: אשם (asham); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like one who is guilty”; Notes: Comparison of the king to a guilty man.
- לְבִלְתִּ֛י (levilti) – Root: בלע (bilaʿ); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “in not”; Notes: Introduces negative purpose.
- הָשִׁ֥יב (hashiv) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring back”; Notes: Object of “levilti” (not bringing back).
- הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject again restated for emphasis.
- אֶת־נִדְּחֹֽו (et-niddaḥo) – Root: נדח (nadach); Form: Accusative marker + Nifal participle masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his banished one”; Notes: Refers to Avshalom, exiled from the king’s presence.