וַיֹּ֡אמֶר חָלִילָה֩ לִּ֨י יְהוָ֜ה מֵעֲשֹׂ֣תִי זֹ֗את הֲדַ֤ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בְּנַפְשֹׁותָ֔ם וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לִשְׁתֹּותָ֑ם אֵ֣לֶּה עָשׂ֔וּ שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃ ס
And he said, “Far be it from me, O YHWH, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces Dawid’s speech.
- חָלִילָה (ḥalilah) – Root: חלל; Form: Interjection (usually derived from a verb in the passive); Translation: “Far be it”; Notes: Expression of abhorrence or strong denial.
- לִּי (li) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from me”; Notes: Expresses personal disassociation.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Direct address to God.
- מֵעֲשֹׂתִי (meʿasōti) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Preposition + infinitive construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from doing (it)”; Notes: Marks the action he refuses to perform.
- זֹאת (zoʾt) – Root: –; Form: Demonstrative feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to drinking the water.
- הֲדַם (ha-dam) – Root: דם; Form: Interrogative prefix + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “Is it the blood…?”; Notes: Rhetorical question showing sacredness of the act.
- הָאֲנָשִׁים (ha-ʾanashim) – Root: אנשׁ; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Subject of the phrase.
- הַהֹלְכִים (ha-holekhim) – Root: הלך; Form: Definite participle masculine plural; Translation: “who went”; Notes: Participial clause describing the men.
- בְּנַפְשֹׁותָם (bə-nafshotam) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Preposition + plural noun with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “with their lives”; Notes: Indicates risk or danger.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces what Dawid refused.
- אָבָה (avah) – Root: אבה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he was willing”; Notes: Here negated, meaning “he was not willing.”
- לִשְׁתֹּותָם (lishṭotam) – Root: שׁתה; Form: Infinitive construct with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “to drink them”; Notes: Refers to the water the men brought.
- אֵלֶּה (ʾelleh) – Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the following subject.
- עָשׂוּ (ʿasu) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “did”; Notes: Refers to their brave act.
- שְׁלֹשֶׁת (sheloshet) – Root: שלש; Form: Construct numeral masculine; Translation: “three of”; Notes: Indicates the three named individuals.
- הַגִּבֹּרִים (ha-gibborim) – Root: גבר; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the mighty men”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s elite warriors.