וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲבִישַׁ֤י בֶּן־צְרוּיָה֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ לָ֣מָּה יְקַלֵּ֞ל הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַמֵּת֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֖י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֖א וְאָסִ֥ירָה אֶת־רֹאשֹֽׁו׃ ס
Then Avishai son of Tseruya said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me pass over, I pray, and I will remove his head.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “Then he said”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- אֲבִישַׁ֤י (Avishai) – Root: אבישׁי; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avishai”; Notes: Speaker of the sentence.
- בֶּן־צְרוּיָה֙ (ben-Tseruyah) – Root: בן, צרויה; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Tseruyah”; Notes: Identification by lineage.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: אל, מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Addressee of Avishai’s words.
- לָ֣מָּה (lammah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative particle + preposition; Translation: “why?”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
- יְקַלֵּ֞ל (yekallel) – Root: קלל; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “should he curse”; Notes: Expresses displeasure or outrage.
- הַכֶּ֤לֶב הַמֵּת֙ (ha-kelev ha-met) – Root: כלב, מות; Form: Definite noun + definite adjective; Translation: “this dead dog”; Notes: Strong insult, expressing contempt.
- הַזֶּ֔ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Further derogatory emphasis.
- אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֖י (et-adoni) – Root: אדן; Form: Object marker + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Object of the curse.
- הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Apposition to “my lord.”
- אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֖א (eʿbĕrah-na) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal cohortative 1st person singular + particle of entreaty; Translation: “let me pass over, I pray”; Notes: Requesting permission to act.
- וְאָסִ֥ירָה (ve-asirah) – Root: סור; Form: Hifil cohortative 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and I will remove”; Notes: Intentional action.
- אֶת־רֹאשֹֽׁו (et-rosho) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Object marker + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his head”; Notes: Target of Avishai’s proposed action.