וַיִּֽהְיוּ־שָׁ֗ם שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ בְּנֵ֣י צְרוּיָ֔ה יֹואָ֥ב וַאֲבִישַׁ֖י וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֑ל וַעֲשָׂהאֵל֙ קַ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֔יו כְּאַחַ֥ד הַצְּבָיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃
And the three sons of Tseruya were there: Yoʾav, and ʾAvishai, and ʿAsahel. And ʿAsahel was swift on his feet like one of the gazelles that is in the field.
Morphology
- וַיִּֽהְיוּ־שָׁ֗ם (vayyihyu-sham) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + adverb; Translation: “And they were there”; Notes: Refers to presence at the scene.
- שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ (sheloshah) – Root: שלש (shalosh); Form: Numeral, masculine; Translation: “three”; Notes: Quantity of sons.
- בְּנֵ֣י (benei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Construct chain with proper name.
- צְרוּיָ֔ה (Tseruyah) – Root: צרויה (Tseruyah); Form: Proper noun, feminine; Translation: “Tseruyah”; Notes: Mother of the three men, sister of Dawid.
- יֹואָ֥ב (Yoʾav) – Root: יואב (Yoʾav); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoʾav”; Notes: Eldest son of Tseruyah.
- וַאֲבִישַׁ֖י (va-ʾAvishai) – Root: אבישׁי (ʾAvishai); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and ʾAvishai”; Notes: Another son of Tseruyah, brother of Yoʾav.
- וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֑ל (va-ʿAsahel) – Root: עשׂהל (ʿAsahel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and ʿAsahel”; Notes: Youngest of the three brothers.
- וַעֲשָׂהאֵל֙ (va-ʿAsahel) – Root: עשׂהל (ʿAsahel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “And ʿAsahel”; Notes: Repeated for focus in second clause.
- קַ֣ל (qal) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “swift”; Notes: Describes his physical agility.
- בְּרַגְלָ֔יו (be-raglav) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Noun, feminine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “on his feet”; Notes: Indicates physical speed.
- כְּאַחַ֥ד (ke-aḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Preposition + numeral; Translation: “like one of”; Notes: Comparative expression.
- הַצְּבָיִ֖ם (ha-tsevaʾyim) – Root: צבי (tsevi); Form: Noun, masculine plural definite; Translation: “the gazelles”; Notes: Symbol of speed and grace.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that / which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃ (ba-sadeh) – Root: שדה (sadeh); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite with preposition; Translation: “in the field”; Notes: Indicates the natural setting of the comparison.