כִּמְעַ֞ט יַעֲבֹ֧ר עַבְדְּךָ֛ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן אֶת־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְלָ֨מָּה֙ יִגְמְלֵ֣נִי הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הַגְּמוּלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
Just a little way will your servant cross the Yarden with the king, so why should the king repay me with this reward?
Morphology
- כִּמְעַט (kimʿat) – Root: מעט; Form: Preposition with noun; Translation: “Just a little” / “Almost”; Notes: Indicates smallness or brevity.
- יַעֲבֹר (yaʿavor) – Root: עבר; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “he will cross”; Notes: Refers to a near-future or conditional action.
- עַבְדְּךָ (ʿavdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Humble self-reference.
- אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן (et-ha-Yarden) – Root: ירדן; Form: Object marker + definite proper noun; Translation: “the Yarden”; Notes: Refers to the Jordan River.
- אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ (et-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Object marker + definite noun; Translation: “with the king”; Notes: Direct object of “cross,” understood as accompaniment.
- וְלָמָּה (ve-lamah) – Root: מה; Form: Conjunction + interrogative; Translation: “and why”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
- יִגְמְלֵנִי (yigmeleni) – Root: גמל; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “should he repay me”; Notes: Refers to reward or recompense.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the verb “repay.”
- הַגְּמוּלָה (ha-gemulah) – Root: גמל; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the reward”; Notes: Related to recompense or benefit.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “reward,” emphasizing its specific nature.