וַיֵּרְד֨וּ שְׁלֹשִׁים מֵהַשְּׁלֹשִׁ֣ים רֹ֗אשׁ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ אֶל־קָצִיר֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד אֶל־מְעָרַ֖ת עֲדֻלָּ֑ם וְחַיַּ֣ת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֹנָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃
And thirty of the chiefs went down and came to Dawid at the harvest time, to the cave of ʿAdullam, and the force of the Pelishtim was encamped in the Valley of Refaʾim.
Morphology
- וַיֵּרְד֨וּ (vayyēredu) – Root: ירד; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went down”; Notes: Indicates movement from a higher to lower location.
- שְׁלֹשִׁים (sheloshim) – Root: שלש; Form: Numeral masculine plural; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Refers to the elite warriors.
- מֵהַשְּׁלֹשִׁים (meha-sheloshim) – Root: שלש; Form: Preposition + definite numeral; Translation: “from the thirty”; Notes: Indicates a subgroup of the thirty mighty men.
- רֹאשׁ (roʾsh) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “chief” or “leader”; Notes: Refers to the leaders among the thirty.
- וַיָּבֹאוּ (vayyavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: Conveys arrival to a place.
- אֶל־קָצִיר (ʾel-qatsir) – Root: קצר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the harvest”; Notes: May indicate harvest season or a place of harvesting.
- אֶל־דָּוִד (ʾel-Dawid) – Root: –; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: Marks the destination.
- אֶל־מְעָרַת (ʾel-meʿarat) – Root: מער; Form: Preposition + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the cave of”; Notes: Indicates the location of Dawid.
- עֲדֻלָּם (ʿAdullam) – Root: –; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿAdullam”; Notes: A significant stronghold in Dawid’s life.
- וְחַיַּת (veḥayyat) – Root: חיה; Form: Conjunction + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the force of”; Notes: Can also mean “company” or “band.”
- פְּלִשְׁתִּים (Pelishtim) – Root: פלשׁת; Form: Proper noun masculine plural; Translation: “Pelishtim”; Notes: Military adversaries of Yisraʾel.
- חֹנָה (ḥonah) – Root: חנה; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “was encamped”; Notes: Describes military encampment.
- בְּעֵמֶק (be-ʿemeq) – Root: עמק; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the valley”; Notes: Geographic location.
- רְפָאִים (Refaʾim) – Root: –; Form: Proper noun plural; Translation: “Refaʾim”; Notes: Name of a valley southwest of Yerushalayim associated with giants.