וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֗ד שָׁ֠לַח אֶל־צָדֹ֨וק וְאֶל־אֶבְיָתָ֥ר הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ לֵאמֹר֒ דַּבְּר֞וּ אֶל־זִקְנֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לָ֤מָּה תִֽהְיוּ֙ אַֽחֲרֹנִ֔ים לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתֹ֑ו וּדְבַר֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּ֥א אֶל־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתֹֽו׃
And King Dawid sent to Tsadoq and to Evyatar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Yehuda, saying, ‘Why should you be the last to bring back the king to his house? And the word of all Yisraʾel has come to the king, to his house.
Morphology
- וְהַמֶּלֶךְ (ve-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Conjunction + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “And the king”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- דָּוִד (Dawid) – Root: דוד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Appositional to “the king.”
- שָׁלַח (shalach) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “sent”; Notes: Main verb of the sentence.
- אֶל־צָדֹוק (el-Tsadoq) – Root: צדק; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Tsadoq”; Notes: Recipient of the sending.
- וְאֶל־אֶבְיָתָר (ve-el-ʾEvyatar) – Root: אביתר; Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and to Evyatar”; Notes: Second recipient.
- הַכֹּהֲנִים (ha-kohanim) – Root: כהן; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the priests”; Notes: Apposition to the named individuals.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾmor) – Root: אמר; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- דַּבְּרוּ (dabberu) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: Direct command to the priests.
- אֶל־זִקְנֵי (el-ziqnei) – Root: זקן; Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “to the elders of”; Notes: Target audience.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Southern tribe.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾmor) – Root: אמר; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the words to be spoken to the elders.
- לָמָּה (lammah) – Root: למה; Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Question word introducing challenge.
- תִהְיוּ (tihyu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine plural; Translation: “are you”; Notes: Verb in the interrogative clause.
- אַחֲרֹנִים (aḥaronim) – Root: אחר; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “last”; Notes: Indicates delay or lateness.
- לְהָשִׁיב (lehashiv) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Preposition + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring back”; Notes: Infinitive of result or purpose.
- אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ (et-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Object of the infinitive.
- אֶל־בֵּיתֹו (el-beito) – Root: בית; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his house”; Notes: Refers to the royal residence in Yerushalayim.
- וּדְבַר (u-devar) – Root: דבר; Form: Conjunction + construct noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the word of”; Notes: Refers to the message or counsel.
- כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל (kol-Yisraʾel) – Root: כל, ישראל; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “all Yisraʾel”; Notes: Northern tribes contrasted with Yehudah.
- בָּא (ba) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “has come”; Notes: Refers to their initiative.
- אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Object of “has come.”
- אֶל־בֵּיתֹו (el-beito) – Root: בית; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to his house”; Notes: Emphasizes the movement toward Dawid’s restoration.