וַיַּ֤ךְ לֵב־דָּוִד֙ אֹתֹ֔ו אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן סָפַ֣ר אֶת־הָעָ֑ם ס וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־יְהוָ֗ה חָטָ֤אתִי מְאֹד֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה הַֽעֲבֶר־נָא֙ אֶת־עֲוֹ֣ן עַבְדְּךָ֔ כִּ֥י נִסְכַּ֖לְתִּי מְאֹֽד׃
And Dawid’s heart struck him after he had counted the people, and Dawid said to YHWH, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done, and now, YHWH, please pass over the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
Morphology
- וַיַּךְ (vayyakh) – Root: נכה; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “struck”; Notes: Used figuratively here of conscience or emotional pain.
- לֵב־דָּוִד (lev-Dawid) – Root: לב, דוד; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “heart of Dawid”; Notes: Represents inner feelings or conscience.
- אֹתוֹ (oto) – Root: את; Form: Direct object pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers back to Dawid.
- אַחֲרֵי־כֵן (aḥarei-khen) – Root: אחר, כן; Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “after this”; Notes: Temporal indicator.
- סָפַר (safar) – Root: ספר; Form: Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he counted”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s census.
- אֶת־הָעָם (et-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Object of the counting.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces Dawid’s confession.
- אֶל־יְהוָה (el-YHWH) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: Addressing the LORD directly.
- חָטָאתִי (ḥataʾti) – Root: חטא; Form: Qal perfect, 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have sinned”; Notes: Confession of wrongdoing.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “greatly”; Notes: Intensifies the previous verb.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which/that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- עָשִׂיתִי (ʿasiti) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal perfect, 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have done”; Notes: Refers to the census.
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and now”; Notes: Transition to plea.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Divine name.
- הַעֲבֶר־נָא (haʿaver-na) – Root: עבר; Form: Hifil imperative, masculine singular + particle of entreaty; Translation: “please pass over”; Notes: A plea for forgiveness.
- אֶת־עֲוֹן (et-ʿavon) – Root: עון; Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the iniquity”; Notes: Moral wrongdoing or guilt.
- עַבְדְּךָ (ʿavdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your servant”; Notes: Refers to Dawid in submission.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a reason.
- נִסְכַּלְתִּי (niskalti) – Root: סכל; Form: Nifal perfect, 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have acted foolishly”; Notes: Dawid acknowledges moral failure.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “greatly”; Notes: Repetition adds intensity to the confession.