וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ לֹ֣ו הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים אֵֽין־לִי כֶּ֤סֶף וְזָהָב֙ עִם־שָׁא֣וּל וְעִם־בֵּיתֹ֔ו וְאֵֽין־לָ֥נוּ אִ֖ישׁ לְהָמִ֣ית בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מָֽה־אַתֶּ֥ם אֹמְרִ֖ים אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃
And the Givʿonim said to him, “It is not to me a matter of silver or gold with Shaʾul and with his house, and there is not for us a man to put to death in Yisraʾel.” And he said, “What you are saying, I will do for you.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Narrative continuation form.
- לֹ֣ו (lo) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים (ha-Givʿonim) – Root: גבעון (Givʿon); Form: Proper gentilic noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the Givʿonim”; Notes: Inhabitants of Givʿon.
- אֵֽין־לִי (ʾein-li) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative existential + preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “It is not to me”; Notes: Denotes absence or lack.
- כֶּ֤סֶף (kesef) – Root: כסף (kesef); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “silver”; Notes: Common biblical term for money or wealth.
- וְזָהָב֙ (ve-zahav) – Root: זהב (zahav); Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and gold”; Notes: Common pairing with silver.
- עִם־שָׁא֣וּל (ʿim-Shaʾul) – Root: שׁאל (Shaʾul); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “with Shaʾul”; Notes: Refers to King Shaʾul.
- וְעִם־בֵּיתֹ֔ו (ve-ʿim-beit-o) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and with his house”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul’s family.
- וְאֵֽין־לָ֥נוּ (ve-ʾein-lanu) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Conjunction + negative existential + preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and there is not for us”; Notes: Expresses lack of authority or means.
- אִ֖ישׁ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Refers generically to any individual.
- לְהָמִ֣ית (le-hamit) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Preposition + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to put to death”; Notes: Hifil expresses causative action.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation as a whole.
- וַיֹּ֛אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers again to Dawid speaking.
- מָֽה־אַתֶּ֥ם (mah-atem) – Root: מה (mah) + אתם (atem); Form: Interrogative pronoun + 2nd person masculine plural pronoun; Translation: “What are you”; Notes: Begins direct question.
- אֹמְרִ֖ים (ʾomrim) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Describes their current response or request.
- אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה (eʿeseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will do”; Notes: Volitional future action.
- לָכֶֽם (lakhem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Final dative recipient of the action.