וְאַבְשָׁלֹ֣ם לָקַ֗ח וַיַּצֶּב־לֹ֤ו בְּחַיָּו אֶת־מַצֶּ֨בֶת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעֵֽמֶק־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כִּ֤י אָמַר֙ אֵֽין־לִ֣י בֵ֔ן בַּעֲב֖וּר הַזְכִּ֣יר שְׁמִ֑י וַיִּקְרָ֤א לַמַּצֶּ֨בֶת֙ עַל־שְׁמֹ֔ו וַיִּקָּ֤רֵא לָהּ֙ יַ֣ד אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃ ס
Now Avshalom had taken and set up for himself in his lifetime the pillar that is in the Valley of the King, for he said, “I have no son in order to preserve my name.” And he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Avshalom’s Monument to this day.
Morphology
- וְאַבְשָׁלֹם (ve-Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “Now Avshalom”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- לָקַח (laqach) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “had taken”; Notes: Refers to a past action in his lifetime.
- וַיַּצֶּב־לֹו (vayyattsev-lo) – Root: נצב; Form: Wayyiqtol Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and he set up for himself”; Notes: Indicates deliberate action.
- בְּחַיָּו (be-ḥayyav) – Root: חיה; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his lifetime”; Notes: Temporal expression.
- אֶת־מַצֶּבֶת (et-matzevet) – Root: נצב; Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the pillar”; Notes: Refers to a memorial structure.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- בְּעֵמֶק־הַמֶּלֶךְ (be-ʿemeq-ha-melekh) – Root: עמק, מלך; Form: Preposition + construct noun + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the Valley of the King”; Notes: Geographical location in or near Yerushalayim.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a causal clause.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Gives the reason behind his action.
- אֵין־לִי (ein-li) – Root: אין; Form: Negative existential + preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “I have no”; Notes: Expresses lack.
- בֵן (ben) – Root: בן; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “son”; Notes: Object of the phrase “I have no.”
- בַּעֲבוּר (baʿavur) – Root: עבר; Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order to” / “for the sake of”; Notes: Purpose clause introducer.
- הַזְכִּיר (hazkir) – Root: זכר; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to cause to remember”; Notes: Causative purpose of memorial.
- שְׁמִי (shemi) – Root: שם; Form: Noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my name”; Notes: Object of the verb “remember.”
- וַיִּקְרָא (vayyikra) – Root: קרא; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and he called”; Notes: Names the monument.
- לַמַּצֶּבֶת (la-matzevet) – Root: נצב; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the pillar”; Notes: Indirect object of “called.”
- עַל־שְׁמוֹ (ʿal-shemo) – Root: שם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “after his name”; Notes: Clarifies how it was named.
- וַיִּקָּרֵא (vayyikkare) – Root: קרא; Form: Wayyiqtol Nifal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and it is called”; Notes: Passive form—still called by that name.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: היא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to the pillar (feminine).
- יַד אַבְשָׁלֹם (yad-Avshalom) – Root: יד, אבשלום; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “Avshalom’s Monument”; Notes: “Yad” here meaning “memorial” or “monument.”
- עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (ʿad ha-yom ha-zeh) – Root: יום, זה; Form: Preposition + definite noun + demonstrative; Translation: “to this day”; Notes: Temporal phrase indicating continuity.