וַיֹּ֧אמֶר הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־צִיבָ֖א מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר צִ֠יבָא הַחֲמֹורִ֨ים לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לִרְכֹּ֗ב וְהַקַּ֨יִץ֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ול הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְהַיַּ֕יִן לִשְׁתֹּ֥ות הַיָּעֵ֖ף בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
And the king said to Tsiva, “What are these to you?” And Tsiva said, “The donkeys are for the house of the king to ride, and the summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for the weary to drink in the wilderness.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- אֶל־צִיבָ֖א (el-Tsiva) – Root: אל, ציבא; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Tsiva”; Notes: Addressee of the king’s question.
- מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ (mah-elleh lakh) – Roots: מה, אלה, ל־; Form: Interrogative + demonstrative plural + preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “What are these to you?”; Notes: Inquiry about the purpose of the supplies.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Repetition indicates response.
- צִ֠יבָא (Tsiva) – Root: ציבא; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tsiva”; Notes: Speaker of the response.
- הַחֲמֹורִ֨ים (ha-ḥamorim) – Root: חמור; Form: Definite noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the donkeys”; Notes: Part of the supplies.
- לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (le-veit ha-melekh) – Root: בית, מלך; Form: Preposition + construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “for the house of the king”; Notes: Indicates intended recipients.
- לִרְכֹּ֗ב (lirkov) – Root: רכב; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to ride”; Notes: Purpose of the donkeys.
- וְהַקַּ֨יִץ֙ (ve-ha-qayits) – Root: קיץ; Form: Conjunction + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and the summer fruit”; Notes: Food provision.
- לֶאֱכֹ֣ול (le-ekhol) – Root: אכל; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to eat”; Notes: Purpose of the fruit.
- הַנְּעָרִ֔ים (ha-neʿarim) – Root: נער; Form: Definite noun, masculine plural; Translation: “the young men”; Notes: Members of Dawid’s retinue.
- וְהַיַּ֕יִן (ve-ha-yayin) – Root: יין; Form: Conjunction + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and the wine”; Notes: Third provision.
- לִשְׁתֹּ֥ות (lishtot) – Root: שתה; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to drink”; Notes: Purpose of the wine.
- הַיָּעֵ֖ף (ha-yaʿef) – Root: יעף; Form: Definite adjective or participle, masculine singular; Translation: “the weary one”; Notes: Describes condition of intended drinkers.
- בַּמִּדְבָּֽר (ba-midbar) – Root: מדבר; Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “in the wilderness”; Notes: Context of Dawid’s flight.