וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו הֲלֹ֣וא תֵדְע֔וּ כִּי־שַׂ֣ר וְגָדֹ֗ול נָפַ֛ל הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a chief and a great one has fallen this day in Yisraʾel?
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Wayyiqtol (Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular); Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Typical narrative form introducing direct speech.
- הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Subject of the verb, refers to Dawid.
- אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו (el-ʿavadav) – Root: אל / עבד; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to his servants”; Notes: Recipients of the speech.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative particle with negative; Translation: “Do you not…?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- תֵדְע֔וּ (tedʿu) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “know”; Notes: Main verb of the rhetorical question.
- כִּי־שַׂ֣ר (ki-sar) – Root: כי / שר; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “that a chief”; Notes: Begins explanatory clause.
- וְגָדֹ֗ול (ve-gadol) – Root: גדל; Form: Conjunction + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “and a great one”; Notes: Qualifies “chief.”
- נָפַ֛ל (nafal) – Root: נפל; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “has fallen”; Notes: Describes the death of Avner.
- הַיֹּ֥ום (ha-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “this day”; Notes: Indicates the time of the event.
- הַזֶּ֖ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “day.”
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates location of the event.