וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְנֵ֜ר אֶל־יֹואָ֗ב וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הֲלָנֶ֨צַח֙ תֹּ֣אכַל חֶ֔רֶב הֲלֹ֣וא יָדַ֔עְתָּה כִּֽי־מָרָ֥ה תִהְיֶ֖ה בָּאַחֲרֹונָ֑ה וְעַד־מָתַי֙ לֹֽא־תֹאמַ֣ר לָעָ֔ם לָשׁ֖וּב מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
And ʾAvner called to Yoʾav and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? And how long will you not tell the people to turn back from following after their brothers?”
Morphology
- וַיִּקְרָ֨א (vayyiqra) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he called”; Notes: Initiates a plea or summons.
- אַבְנֵ֜ר (ʾAvner) – Root: אבנר (ʾAvner); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʾAvner”; Notes: Subject of the verb *vayyiqra*.
- אֶל־יֹואָ֗ב (el-Yoʾav) – Root: יואב (Yoʾav); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Yoʾav”; Notes: Direct recipient of speech.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הֲלָנֶ֨צַח (ha-lanetsaḥ) – Root: נצח (netsaḥ); Form: Interrogative particle + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shall [it be] forever”; Notes: *Lanetsaḥ* means “forever” or “endlessly”.
- תֹּ֣אכַל (toʾkhal) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “will devour”; Notes: Subject is *ḥerev*, “sword.”
- חֶ֔רֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Personified as devouring in battle.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle with negation; Translation: “Do you not…?”; Notes: Rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
- יָדַ֔עְתָּה (yadaʿta) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you knew / do you know”; Notes: Directed at Yoʾav.
- כִּֽי־מָרָ֥ה (ki-marah) – Root: מרר (marar); Form: Causal conjunction + adjective/feminine singular; Translation: “that it will be bitter”; Notes: Future consequence of continued conflict.
- תִּהְיֶ֖ה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it will be”; Notes: Refers back to the outcome or the sword’s effect.
- בָּאַחֲרֹונָ֑ה (baʾaḥaronah) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Noun feminine singular with directional he and article; Translation: “in the end”; Notes: Literally “in the latter part.”
- וְעַד־מָתַי (ve-ʿad-matay) – Root: מתי (matay); Form: Interrogative phrase; Translation: “And until when”; Notes: Begins another rhetorical question.
- לֹֽא־תֹאמַ֣ר (lo-toʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular with negation; Translation: “will you not say”; Notes: Continues rebuke of Yoʾav’s silence.
- לָעָ֔ם (laʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular with article and preposition; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Refers to Yoʾav’s troops.
- לָשׁ֖וּב (lashuv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to return”; Notes: Purpose or command.
- מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י (meʾaḥarei) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Preposition with suffix; Translation: “from after”; Notes: Indicates ceasing pursuit.
- אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃ (ʾaḥeihem) – Root: אח (ʾaḥ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their brothers”; Notes: Emphasizes kinship among tribes.