וְאִם־הָעִ֣יר תָּשׁ֗וּב וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ לְאַבְשָׁלֹום֙ עַבְדְּךָ֨ אֲנִ֤י הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֶֽהְיֶ֔ה עֶ֣בֶד אָבִ֤יךָ וַֽאֲנִי֙ מֵאָ֔ז וְעַתָּ֖ה וַאֲנִ֣י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְהֵפַרְתָּ֣ה לִ֔י אֵ֖ת עֲצַ֥ת אֲחִיתֹֽפֶל׃
But if you return to the city and say to Avshalom, ‘Your servant I am, O king. I was your father’s servant before, and now I am your servant,’ then you will frustrate for me the counsel of Aḥitofel.
Morphology
- וְאִם־ (ve-im) – Root: אם; Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “But if”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- הָעִ֣יר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim.
- תָּשׁ֗וּב (tashuv) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular; Translation: “you return”; Notes: Directed at Ḥushai.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and say”; Notes: Continuation of conditional action.
- לְאַבְשָׁלֹום֙ (le-Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Avshalom”; Notes: Direct address.
- עַבְדְּךָ֨ (ʿavdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Term of submission.
- אֲנִ֤י (ani) – Root: אנכ; Form: Independent pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Subject pronoun.
- הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the king”; Notes: In context, refers to Avshalom.
- אֶֽהְיֶ֔ה (ehyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will be”; Notes: Future declaration.
- עֶ֣בֶד (ʿeved) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a servant”; Notes: Apposition to “I will be.”
- אָבִ֤יךָ (avikha) – Root: אב; Form: Noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- וַֽאֲנִי֙ (va-ani) – Root: אנכ; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun; Translation: “and I”; Notes: Reemphasizing the subject.
- מֵאָ֔ז (me-az) – Root: אז; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “from then”; Notes: Indicates continuity from the past.
- וְעַתָּ֖ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and now”; Notes: Contrasts past with present.
- וַאֲנִ֣י (va-ani) – Root: אנכ; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun; Translation: “and I”; Notes: Further emphasis of the speaker.
- עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ (avdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Repetition for rhetorical persuasion.
- וְהֵפַרְתָּ֣ה (ve-hefarta) – Root: פרר; Form: Hifil perfect 2nd masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then you will frustrate”; Notes: Consequential verb.
- לִ֔י (li) – Root: ל־; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Indicates benefit to Dawid.
- אֵ֖ת עֲצַ֥ת (et-ʿatsat) – Root: עצה; Form: Direct object marker + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “the counsel of”; Notes: Object of the verb “frustrate.”
- אֲחִיתֹֽפֶל (Aḥitofel) – Root: אחיתופל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aḥitofel”; Notes: Avshalom’s chief advisor, opposing Dawid.