וַיִּקָּרֵא֙ אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ום לִפְנֵ֖י עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֑ד וְאַבְשָׁלֹ֞ום רֹכֵ֣ב עַל־הַפֶּ֗רֶד וַיָּבֹ֣א הַפֶּ֡רֶד תַּ֣חַת שֹׂובֶךְ֩ הָאֵלָ֨ה הַגְּדֹולָ֜ה וַיֶּחֱזַ֧ק רֹאשֹׁ֣ו בָאֵלָ֗ה וַיֻּתַּן֙ בֵּ֤ין הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהַפֶּ֥רֶד אֲשֶׁר־תַּחְתָּ֖יו עָבָֽר׃
And Avshalom happened to come before the servants of Dawid. Now Avshalom was riding on the mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of the great oak, and his head was caught in the oak, and he was suspended between the heavens and between the earth, while the mule that was under him passed on.
Morphology
- וַיִּקָּרֵא (vayyikkare) – Root: קרה; Form: Wayyiqtol (vav-consecutive) Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it happened” / “And he encountered”; Notes: Passive form indicating an event occurring by chance.
- אַבְשָׁלֹם (Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- לִפְנֵי (lifnei) – Root: פנה; Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates presence or position in front of someone.
- עַבְדֵי (ʿavdei) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “servants of”; Notes: In construct with Dawid.
- דָוִד (Dawid) – Root: דוד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- וְאַבְשָׁלֹם (ve-Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Conjunction with proper noun; Translation: “And Avshalom”; Notes: Begins a new clause about Avshalom.
- רֹכֵב (rokhev) – Root: רכב; Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “riding”; Notes: Describes his action at that time.
- עַל־הַפֶּרֶד (ʿal-ha-pered) – Root: פרד; Form: Prepositional phrase with noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “on the mule”; Notes: Indicates the mode of transportation.
- וַיָּבֹא (vayyavo) – Root: בוא; Form: Wayyiqtol (vav-consecutive) Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it went”; Notes: Refers to the mule’s movement.
- הַפֶּרֶד (ha-pered) – Root: פרד; Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the mule”; Notes: Subject of the previous verb.
- תַּחַת (taḥat) – Root: תחת; Form: Preposition; Translation: “under”; Notes: Indicates position.
- שֹׂובֶךְ (soveḵ) – Root: שׂבך; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “thick branches of”; Notes: Rare noun referring to tangled or intertwined growth.
- הָאֵלָה (ha-ʾelah) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the oak”; Notes: Refers to a specific large tree.
- הַגְּדֹולָה (ha-gedolah) – Root: גדל; Form: Adjective, feminine singular definite; Translation: “the great”; Notes: Qualifies the oak tree.
- וַיֶּחֱזַק (vay-yeḥezaq) – Root: חזק; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and was caught”; Notes: Describes what happened to his head.
- רֹאשׁוֹ (roʾsho) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Noun, masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his head”; Notes: Object of the previous verb.
- בָאֵלָה (ba-ʾelah) – Root: אלה; Form: Prepositional phrase with definite noun, feminine singular; Translation: “in the oak”; Notes: Location where his head was caught.
- וַיֻּתַּן (vayyuttan) – Root: נתן; Form: Wayyiqtol Pual imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he was suspended” / “was left hanging”; Notes: Passive form emphasizing the helpless state.
- בֵּין הַשָּׁמַיִם (bein ha-shamayim) – Root: שׁמים; Form: Prepositional phrase with plural noun, definite; Translation: “between the heavens”; Notes: Part of the spatial imagery.
- וּבֵין הָאָרֶץ (u-vein ha-ʾaretz) – Root: ארץ; Form: Prepositional phrase with feminine singular noun, definite; Translation: “and between the earth”; Notes: Completes the spatial description.
- וְהַפֶּרֶד (ve-ha-pered) – Root: פרד; Form: Conjunction with definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and the mule”; Notes: Resumes the focus on the animal.
- אֲשֶׁר־תַּחְתָּיו (asher-taḥtayv) – Root: תחת; Form: Relative particle with prepositional phrase; Translation: “that was under him”; Notes: Relative clause modifying the mule.
- עָבָר (ʿavar) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “passed”; Notes: Indicates the mule continued on without him.