וַתִּקַּ֣ח רִצְפָּה֩ בַת־אַיָּ֨ה אֶת־הַשַּׂ֜ק וַתַּטֵּ֨הוּ לָ֤הּ אֶל־הַצּוּר֙ מִתְּחִלַּ֣ת קָצִ֔יר עַ֛ד נִתַּךְ־מַ֥יִם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנָה֩ עֹ֨וף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם לָנ֤וּחַ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ יֹומָ֔ם וְאֶת־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לָֽיְלָה׃
And Ritspa daughter of Ayya took the sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from the heavens; and she did not allow the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
Morphology
- וַתִּקַּ֣ח (vattiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she took”; Notes: Refers to Ritspah initiating an act of mourning or vigil.
- רִצְפָּה (Ritspah) – Root: רצף (ritspah); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Ritspah”; Notes: Concubine of Shaʾul.
- בַת־אַיָּה (bat-Ayyah) – Root: בת (bat) + איה (Ayah); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “daughter of Ayyah”; Notes: Identifies Ritspah’s lineage.
- אֶת־הַשַּׂ֜ק (et-ha-saqq) – Root: שׂק (saq); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the sackcloth”; Notes: Mourning garment, possibly spread as a covering.
- וַתַּטֵּ֨הוּ (vattattehu) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and she spread it”; Notes: Indicates deliberate action of placement.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: היא (hi); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for herself”; Notes: Marks possession or benefit.
- אֶל־הַצּוּר (el-ha-tsur) – Root: צור (tsur); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “on the rock”; Notes: Indicates location of vigil.
- מִתְּחִלַּת (mit-teḥillat) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “from the beginning of”; Notes: Construct noun marking the start of a period.
- קָצִיר (qatsir) – Root: קצר (qatsar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “harvest”; Notes: Refers to agricultural season, especially barley.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Marks temporal limit of action.
- נִתַּךְ (nittakh) – Root: נתך (natakh); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was poured”; Notes: Passive action describing natural rainfall.
- מַיִם (mayim) – Root: מים (mayim); Form: Noun masculine dual; Translation: “water”; Notes: Subject of the verb “was poured.”
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon them”; Notes: Refers to the bodies of the executed.
- מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם (min-ha-shamayim) – Root: שמים (shamayim); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “from the heavens”; Notes: Refers to rainfall from above.
- וְלֹֽא־נָתְנָה (ve-lo-natnah) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she did not allow”; Notes: Refers to Ritspah actively defending the corpses.
- עֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם (ʿof ha-shamayim) – Root: עוף (ʿof); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + definite noun; Translation: “the birds of the heavens”; Notes: General phrase for flying creatures.
- לָנ֤וּחַ (lanuach) – Root: נוח (nuach); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to rest”; Notes: Indicates prevented action.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “on them”; Notes: Refers again to the corpses.
- יוֹמָם (yomam) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Adverbial noun; Translation: “by day”; Notes: Indicates time of day for her vigilance.
- וְאֶת־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה (ve-et-ḥayat ha-sadeh) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun feminine singular construct + definite noun; Translation: “and the beast of the field”; Notes: Wild animals that might desecrate the bodies.
- לַיְלָה (laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “by night”; Notes: Opposite of יוֹמָם, together expressing constant protection.