הִנֵּ֨ה עַתָּ֤ה הֽוּא־נֶחְבָּא֙ בְּאַחַ֣ת הַפְּחָתִ֔ים אֹ֖ו בְּאַחַ֣ד הַמְּקֹומֹ֑ת וְהָיָ֗ה כִּנְפֹ֤ל בָּהֶם֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה וְשָׁמַ֤ע הַשֹּׁמֵ֨עַ֙ וְאָמַ֔ר הָֽיְתָה֙ מַגֵּפָ֔ה בָּעָ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר אַחֲרֵ֥י אַבְשָׁלֹֽם׃
Behold, now he is hidden in one of the pits or in one of the places, and it shall be, when some of them fall at the beginning, then whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Avshalom.’
Morphology
- הִנֵּ֨ה (hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Used for emphasis or to draw attention.
- עַתָּ֤ה (ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Temporal reference to the current moment.
- הֽוּא־נֶחְבָּא֙ (hu-neḥba) – Root: חבא; Form: Niphal participle masculine singular; Translation: “he is hidden”; Notes: Refers to Dawid; passive form.
- בְּאַחַ֣ת (beʾaḥat) – Root: אחד; Form: Preposition + feminine singular; Translation: “in one”; Notes: Construct with what follows.
- הַפְּחָתִ֔ים (ha-peḥatim) – Root: פחת; Form: Definite plural noun; Translation: “the pits”; Notes: Likely refers to caves or ambush places.
- אֹ֖ו (ʾo) – Root: או; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “or”; Notes: Disjunctive alternative.
- בְּאַחַ֣ד (beʾaḥad) – Root: אחד; Form: Preposition + masculine singular; Translation: “in one”; Notes: Construct with what follows.
- הַמְּקֹומֹ֑ות (ha-mekomot) – Root: קום; Form: Definite plural noun, feminine; Translation: “the places”; Notes: General location.
- וְהָיָ֗ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional scenario.
- כִּנְפֹ֤ל (kinfol) – Root: נפל; Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “when falling”; Notes: Temporal clause.
- בָּהֶם֙ (bahem) – Root: ב + הם; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “among them”; Notes: Refers to Avshalom’s men.
- בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה (ba-teḥillah) – Root: חלל; Form: Definite noun, feminine singular with preposition; Translation: “at the beginning”; Notes: Temporal reference.
- וְשָׁמַ֤ע (ve-shamaʿ) – Root: שמע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and will hear”; Notes: Continues hypothetical scenario.
- הַשֹּׁמֵ֨עַ (ha-shomeaʿ) – Root: שמע; Form: Participle, masculine singular with article; Translation: “the hearer”; Notes: Generic participant who hears.
- וְאָמַ֔ר (ve-amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and will say”; Notes: Continuation of the hypothetical outcome.
- הָֽיְתָה֙ (hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd feminine singular; Translation: “there was”; Notes: Marks past occurrence of the event.
- מַגֵּפָ֔ה (maggefah) – Root: נגש; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “a slaughter” or “a defeat”; Notes: Military loss or plague-like blow.
- בָּעָ֕ם (baʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “among the people”; Notes: Indicates who suffered the loss.
- אֲשֶׁ֖ר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- אַחֲרֵ֥י (aḥarei) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition; Translation: “after” or “behind”; Notes: Indicates allegiance or following.
- אַבְשָׁלֹֽם (Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: Refers to those loyal to him.