וַיִּקְח֣וּ אֶת־אַבְשָׁלֹ֗ום וַיַּשְׁלִ֨יכוּ אֹתֹ֤ו בַיַּ֨עַר֙ אֶל־הַפַּ֣חַת הַגָּדֹ֔ול וַיַּצִּ֧בוּ עָלָ֛יו גַּל־אֲבָנִ֖ים גָּדֹ֣ול מְאֹ֑ד וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נָ֖סוּ אִ֥ישׁ לְאָהֳלֹֽו׃ ס
And they took Avshalom and cast him into the forest, into the great pit, and they raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Yisraʾel fled, each man to his tent.
Morphology
- וַיִּקְחוּ (vayyikḥu) – Root: לקח; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they took”; Notes: Refers to those handling Avshalom’s body.
- אֶת־אַבְשָׁלֹם (et-ʾAvshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “took.”
- וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ (vayyashlikhu) – Root: שלך; Form: Wayyiqtol Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they cast”; Notes: Strong, deliberate action.
- אֹתֹו (oto) – Root: את; Form: Direct object pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers again to Avshalom.
- בַיַּעַר (ba-yaʿar) – Root: יער; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “into the forest”; Notes: The location of disposal.
- אֶל־הַפַּחַת (el-ha-paḥat) – Root: פחת; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “into the pit”; Notes: Indicates deep or hollow place in the forest.
- הַגָּדֹול (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל; Form: Adjective masculine singular definite; Translation: “the great”; Notes: Qualifies the “pit.”
- וַיַּצִּבוּ (vayyatsivu) – Root: נצב; Form: Wayyiqtol Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they set up” / “raised”; Notes: Refers to marking the burial site.
- עָלָיו (ʿalav) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “over him”; Notes: Refers to Avshalom’s body.
- גַּל־אֲבָנִים (gal-ʾavanim) – Root: גל, אבן; Form: Construct chain of noun masculine singular + plural; Translation: “a heap of stones”; Notes: A funerary marker or symbolic execution site.
- גָּדֹול (gadol) – Root: גדל; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Emphasizes size of the stone heap.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “very”; Notes: Intensifies the preceding adjective.
- וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל (ve-khol-Yisraʾel) – Root: כל, ישראל; Form: Conjunction + noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “and all Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite army allied with Avshalom.
- נָסוּ (nasu) – Root: נס; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “fled”; Notes: Indicates panic or retreat.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “each man”; Notes: Distributive singular, meaning “everyone individually.”
- לְאָהֳלֹו (leʾoholov) – Root: אהל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his tent”; Notes: Idiomatic expression for returning home or retreating from battle.