וַיַּחְמֹ֣ל הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מְפִי־בֹ֖שֶׁת בֶּן־יְהֹונָתָ֣ן בֶּן־שָׁא֑וּל עַל־שְׁבֻעַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֵּֽינֹתָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין דָּוִ֔ד וּבֵ֖ין יְהֹונָתָ֥ן בֶּן־שָׁאֽוּל׃
But the king had compassion on Mefi-voshet son of Yehonatan son of Shaʾul, because of the oath of YHWH that was between them—between Dawid and between Yehonatan son of Shaʾul.
Morphology
- וַיַּחְמֹ֣ל (vayyaḥmol) – Root: חמל (ḥamal); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “But he had compassion”; Notes: Expresses an emotional restraint or mercy in a narrative sequence.
- הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- עַל־מְפִי־בֹ֖שֶׁת (ʿal-Mefi-voshet) – Root: פה + בשת (peh + boshet); Form: Preposition + compound proper noun; Translation: “on Mefi-voshet”; Notes: Son of Yehonatan, grandson of Shaʾul; name possibly altered to avoid sacred name elements.
- בֶּן־יְהֹונָתָ֣ן (ben-Yehonatan) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Yehonatan”; Notes: Identifies Mefi-voshet’s lineage.
- בֶּן־שָׁא֑וּל (ben-Shaʾul) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Shaʾul”; Notes: Completes three-generation identification.
- עַל־שְׁבֻעַ֤ת (ʿal-shevuʿat) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “because of the oath of”; Notes: Refers to a sworn covenant or solemn promise.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hwh); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The name of the God of Yisraʾel; part of a sacred covenant context.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- בֵּֽינֹתָ֔ם (beinotam) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition in plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “between them”; Notes: Refers to Dawid and Yehonatan.
- בֵּ֣ין דָּוִ֔ד (bein-Dawid) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “between Dawid”; Notes: Part of repeated prepositional structure for emphasis.
- וּבֵ֖ין יְהֹונָתָ֥ן (u-vein-Yehonatan) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and between Yehonatan”; Notes: Final component of parallel phrase.
- בֶּן־שָׁאֽוּל (ben-Shaʾul) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Shaʾul”; Notes: Again identifies Yehonatan’s parentage.