אַחַ֣י אַתֶּ֔ם עַצְמִ֥י וּבְשָׂרִ֖י אַתֶּ֑ם וְלָ֧מָּה תִהְי֛וּ אַחֲרֹנִ֖ים לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
You are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh. And why should you be the last to bring back the king?’
Morphology
- אַחַי (ʾaḥai) – Root: אח; Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my brothers”; Notes: Term of kinship and solidarity.
- אַתֶּם (atem) – Root: אתם; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphatic repetition for address.
- עַצְמִי (ʿatsmi) – Root: עצם; Form: Noun feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my bone”; Notes: Part of the idiom “bone and flesh.”
- וּבְשָׂרִי (u-viśari) – Root: בשר; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and my flesh”; Notes: Idiomatic expression indicating close kinship.
- אַתֶּם (atem) – Root: אתם; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes personal appeal.
- וְלָמָּה (ve-lammah) – Root: למה; Form: Conjunction + interrogative adverb; Translation: “and why”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
- תִהְיוּ (tihyu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “should you be”; Notes: Main verb in the question.
- אַחֲרֹנִים (ʾaḥaronim) – Root: אחר; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “last”; Notes: Suggests delay or failure to act.
- לְהָשִׁיב (lehashiv) – Root: שוב; Form: Preposition + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring back”; Notes: Refers to restoring the king to his rightful position.
- אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ (et-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.