וַיִּחַר֩ לְאַבְנֵ֨ר מְאֹ֜ד עַל־דִּבְרֵ֣י אִֽישׁ־בֹּ֗שֶׁת וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הֲרֹ֨אשׁ כֶּ֥לֶב אָנֹ֘כִי֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽיהוּדָה֒ הַיֹּ֨ום אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֜סֶד עִם־בֵּ֣ית שָׁא֣וּל אָבִ֗יךָ אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ וְאֶל־מֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּ וְלֹ֥א הִמְצִיתִ֖ךָ בְּיַד־דָּוִ֑ד וַתִּפְקֹ֥ד עָלַ֛י עֲוֹ֥ן הָאִשָּׁ֖ה הַיֹּֽום׃
And Avner was very angry over the words of Ish-boshet, and he said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Yehuda? Today I show loyalty to the house of Shaʾul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and I have not delivered you into the hand of Dawid—and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman?
Morphology
- וַיִּחַר (vayyikhar) – Root: חרה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he was angry”; Notes: Introduces Avner’s emotional response.
- לְאַבְנֵר (le-Avner) – Root: אבנר; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “at Avner”; Notes: Dative construction showing who was angry.
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “very”; Notes: Intensifies the emotion.
- עַל־דִּבְרֵי (ʿal-divrei) – Root: דבר; Form: Preposition + construct noun, masculine plural; Translation: “over the words of”; Notes: Indicates cause of the anger.
- אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת (Ish-Boshet) – Root: איש, בושת; Form: Construct + proper noun; Translation: “Ish-Boshet”; Notes: Son of Shaʾul and rival of Dawid.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Direct speech introduction.
- הֲרֹאשׁ כֶּלֶב אָנֹכִי (ha-roʾsh kelev anokhi) – Roots: ראשׁ, כלב; Form: Interrogative + noun + noun + pronoun; Translation: “Am I a dog’s head?”; Notes: Expression of insult or indignity.
- אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה (asher li-Yehudah) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “that belongs to Yehudah”; Notes: Modifies the rhetorical insult.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “today”; Notes: Temporal marker.
- אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶסֶד (eʿeseh-ḥesed) – Roots: עשה, חסד; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “I show loyalty”; Notes: Ongoing action with covenant connotation.
- עִם־בֵּית שָׁאוּל אָבִיךָ (ʿim-beit Shaʾul avikha) – Roots: עם, בית, שאול, אב; Form: Preposition + construct chain + pronominal suffix; Translation: “with the house of Shaʾul your father”; Notes: Emphasizes loyalty.
- אֶל־אֶחָיו (el-eḥav) – Root: אח; Form: Preposition + noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to his brothers”; Notes: Kin of Shaʾul.
- וְאֶל־מֵרֵעֵהוּ (ve-el-mereʿehu) – Root: רעע; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and to his friends”; Notes: Close allies or companions.
- וְלֹא הִמְצִיתִךָ (ve-lo himtsitikha) – Root: מצא; Form: Conjunction + negative + Hifil perfect 1st person singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and I have not delivered you”; Notes: Emphasizes restraint.
- בְּיַד־דָּוִד (be-yad Dawid) – Root: יד, דוד; Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “into the hand of Dawid”; Notes: Common idiom for betrayal or surrender.
- וַתִּפְקֹד (vatifqod) – Root: פקד; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you charge”; Notes: Refers to accusation or calling to account.
- עָלַי (ʿalay) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “upon me”; Notes: Indicates personal burden or accusation.
- עֲוֹן (ʿavon) – Root: עון; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “guilt” or “iniquity”; Notes: Legal or moral fault.
- הָאִשָּׁה (ha-ishah) – Root: אשה; Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the woman”; Notes: Refers to Ritspah.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “today”; Notes: Emphasizes immediacy of accusation.