וַיַּ֧עַן אִתַּ֛י אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר חַי־יְהוָ֗ה וְחֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּ֠י אִם־בִּמְקֹ֞ום אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽהְיֶה־שָּׁ֣ם אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אִם־לְמָ֨וֶת֙ אִם־לְחַיִּ֔ים כִּי־שָׁ֖ם יִהְיֶ֥ה עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
And Ittai answered the king and said, “As YHWH lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in the place where my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there your servant shall be.”
Morphology
- וַיַּ֧עַן (vayyaʿan) – Root: ענה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Common verb introducing a reply.
- אִתַּ֛י (Ittai) – Root: אתי; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ittai”; Notes: A Gittite warrior loyal to Dawid.
- אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (et-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “answered.”
- וַיֹּאמַ֑ר (vayyomar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Standard narrative continuation.
- חַי־יְהוָ֗ה (ḥai YHWH) – Root: חיה; Form: Adjective + proper divine name; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: Oath formula invoking YHWH’s life.
- וְחֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ve-ḥei adoni ha-melekh) – Root: חיה + אדן + מלך; Form: Adjective + construct + definite noun; Translation: “and as my lord the king lives”; Notes: Parallel oath reinforcing loyalty.
- כִּ֠י אִם־ (ki im) – Root: כי + אם; Form: Conjunctions; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Emphatic oath marker introducing main clause.
- בִּמְקֹ֞ום (bimqom) – Root: מקום; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “in the place”; Notes: Refers to wherever the king may go.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “where”; Notes: Introduces relative clause about the place.
- יִֽהְיֶה־שָּׁ֣ם (yihyeh-sham) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular + adverb; Translation: “shall be there”; Notes: Refers to the king’s future location.
- אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (adoni ha-melekh) – Root: אדן + מלך; Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “my lord the king”; Notes: Honorific for King Dawid.
- אִם־לְמָ֨וֶת֙ (im-le-mavet) – Root: מות; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “whether for death”; Notes: First of two possibilities expressing absolute loyalty.
- אִם־לְחַיִּ֔ים (im-le-ḥayyim) – Root: חיים; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun, masculine plural; Translation: “or for life”; Notes: Parallel construction indicating complete devotion.
- כִּי־שָׁ֖ם (ki-sham) – Root: כי + שם; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “for there”; Notes: Gives the reason for the next statement.
- יִהְיֶ֥ה (yihyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Refers to the servant’s location.
- עַבְדֶּֽךָ (ʿavdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Declaration of personal loyalty to the king.