וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יֹואָב֙ לַכּוּשִׁ֔י לֵ֛ךְ הַגֵּ֥ד לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאִ֑יתָה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֧חוּ כוּשִׁ֛י לְיֹואָ֖ב וַיָּרֹֽץ׃
And Yoʾav said to the Kushi, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” And the Kushi bowed himself to Yoʾav and ran.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative verb introducing direct speech.
- יֹואָב (Yoʾav) – Root: יואב; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoʾav”; Notes: Subject of the speech.
- לַכּוּשִׁי (la-Kushi) – Root: כּוּשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “to the Kushite”; Notes: Identifies the messenger by ethnicity or region.
- לֵךְ (lekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Command to depart.
- הַגֵּד (haged) – Root: נגד; Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “tell”; Notes: Causative command—inform the king.
- לַמֶּלֶךְ (la-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Recipient of the message.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “what” / “that which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- רָאִיתָה (raʾita) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have seen”; Notes: Refers to the battle or Avshalom’s death.
- וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu) – Root: שׁחה; Form: Wayyiqtol Hishtaphel imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and he bowed himself”; Notes: Gesture of respect or honor.
- כוּשִׁי (Kushi) – Root: כּוּשׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular (gentilic); Translation: “the Kushite”; Notes: Subject of the verb “bowed.”
- לְיֹואָב (le-Yoʾav) – Root: יואב; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Yoʾav”; Notes: Object of the bowing gesture.
- וַיָּרֹץ (vayyaroṣ) – Root: רוץ; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and he ran”; Notes: Immediate obedience to the command.