וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּ֠וִד לְכָל־עֲבָדָ֨יו אֲשֶׁר־אִתֹּ֤ו בִירוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ ק֣וּמוּ וְנִבְרָ֔חָה כִּ֛י לֹא־תִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֥נוּ פְלֵיטָ֖ה מִפְּנֵ֣י אַבְשָׁלֹ֑ום מַהֲר֣וּ לָלֶ֗כֶת פֶּן־יְמַהֵ֤ר וְהִשִּׂגָ֨נוּ֙ וְהִדִּ֤יחַ עָלֵ֨ינוּ֙ אֶת־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה וְהִכָּ֥ה הָעִ֖יר לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃
And Dawid said to all his servants who were with him in Yerushalayim, “Arise, and let us flee, for there will not be for us an escape from before Avshalom. Hurry to go, lest he hasten and overtake us, and bring down evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Standard narrative form to advance plot.
- דָּ֠וִד (Dawid) – Root: דוד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Subject of the verb; King of Yisraʾel.
- לְכָל־עֲבָדָ֨יו (le-khol-ʿavadav) – Root: כל + עבד; Form: Preposition + construct noun + noun with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to all his servants”; Notes: Expresses collective address to his officials.
- אֲשֶׁר־אִתֹּ֤ו (asher-ittó) – Root: אשר + את; Form: Relative pronoun + preposition with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “who were with him”; Notes: Relative clause modifying “his servants.”
- בִירוּשָׁלִַ֨ם (bi-Yerushalayim) – Root: ירושלם; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yerushalayim”; Notes: Indicates location of the addressed servants.
- ק֣וּמוּ (qumu) – Root: קום; Form: Qal imperative 2nd masculine plural; Translation: “Arise”; Notes: Command form, urging immediate action.
- וְנִבְרָ֔חָה (ve-nivraḥah) – Root: ברח; Form: Niphal cohortative 1st person plural; Translation: “and let us flee”; Notes: Volitional cohortative for joint urgent action.
- כִּ֛י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for / because”; Notes: Introduces reason for command to flee.
- לֹא־תִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֥נוּ (lo-tiḥyeh-lanu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd feminine singular + preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “there will not be for us”; Notes: Negative prediction, emphasizes hopelessness.
- פְלֵיטָ֖ה (peleitah) – Root: פלט; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “escape”; Notes: Refers to possibility of deliverance or survival.
- מִפְּנֵ֣י (mippenei) – Root: פנים; Form: Preposition (min + pene) in construct; Translation: “from before”; Notes: Expresses source of threat.
- אַבְשָׁלֹ֑ום (Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: The rebel son of Dawid.
- מַהֲר֣וּ (maharu) – Root: מהר; Form: Qal imperative 2nd masculine plural; Translation: “Hurry”; Notes: Command stressing urgency.
- לָלֶ֗כֶת (la-lekhet) – Root: הלך; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to go”; Notes: Purpose infinitive dependent on “hurry”.
- פֶּן־יְמַהֵ֤ר (pen-yemaheir) – Root: מהר; Form: Conjunction “lest” + Piel imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “lest he hasten”; Notes: Warns of imminent danger.
- וְהִשִּׂגָ֨נוּ (ve-hissiḡanu) – Root: נשׂג; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and overtake us”; Notes: Causative stem indicating pursuit and capture.
- וְהִדִּ֤יחַ (ve-hiddiʿaḥ) – Root: דוח; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and bring down”; Notes: Causative, refers to disaster inflicted.
- עָלֵ֨ינוּ֙ (ʿaleinu) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Object of the verb “bring down”.
- אֶת־הָרָעָ֔ה (et-haraʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Specific harm or calamity expected.
- וְהִכָּ֥ה (ve-hikkah) – Root: נכה; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and strike”; Notes: Used for inflicting violent destruction.
- הָעִ֖יר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim.
- לְפִי־חָֽרֶב (lefi-ḥarev) – Root: פה + חרב; Form: Construct noun + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with the edge of the sword”; Notes: Hebrew idiom for military slaughter.