וּלְשִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙ שְׁנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים וַיִּנָּצ֤וּ שְׁנֵיהֶם֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּ֖יל בֵּֽינֵיהֶ֑ם וַיַּכֹּ֧ו הָאֶחָ֛ד אֶת־הָאֶחָ֖ד וַיָּ֥מֶת אֹתֹֽו׃
And your servant had two sons, and the two of them fought in the field, and there was no one to deliver between them, and the one struck the other and killed him.
Morphology
- וּלְשִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙ (u-le-shifḥatkha) – Root: שׁפחה (shifḥah); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun feminine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and to your servant-woman”; Notes: The woman refers to herself with humility.
- שְׁנֵ֣י (shenei) – Root: שׁנים (shenayim); Form: Construct form masculine dual; Translation: “two”; Notes: Construct with “sons” that follows.
- בָנִ֔ים (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Direct object of the clause.
- וַיִּנָּצ֤וּ (va-yinnatsu) – Root: נצה (natsah); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they fought”; Notes: Mutual striving or quarreling.
- שְׁנֵיהֶם֙ (sheneihem) – Root: שׁנים (shenayim); Form: Dual noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “the two of them”; Notes: Clarifies both sons were involved.
- בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (ba-sadeh) – Root: שׂדה (sadeh); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the field”; Notes: Location of the fight.
- וְאֵ֥ין (ve-ein) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative existential; Translation: “and there was no”; Notes: Introduces a lack or absence.
- מַצִּ֖יל (matzil) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “deliverer” or “rescuer”; Notes: No one to intervene between them.
- בֵּֽינֵיהֶ֑ם (beinayhem) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “between them”; Notes: Refers to the two sons.
- וַיַּכֹּ֧ו (va-yakko) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he struck”; Notes: The subject is one brother.
- הָאֶחָ֛ד (ha-eḥad) – Root: אחד (eḥad); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the one”; Notes: The aggressor brother.
- אֶת־הָאֶחָ֖ד (et-ha-eḥad) – Root: אחד (eḥad); Form: Accusative marker + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the other”; Notes: The victim brother.
- וַיָּ֥מֶת (va-yamet) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Result of the striking.
- אֹתֹֽו (oto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Accusative pronoun 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “him”; Notes: Emphasizes the victim.