כִּ֣י הַמַּגִּיד֩ לִ֨י לֵאמֹ֜ר הִנֵּה־מֵ֣ת שָׁא֗וּל וְהֽוּא־הָיָ֤ה כִמְבַשֵּׂר֙ בְּעֵינָ֔יו וָאֹחֲזָ֣ה בֹ֔ו וָאֶהְרְגֵ֖הוּ בְּצִֽקְלָ֑ג אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְתִתִּי־לֹ֖ו בְּשֹׂרָֽה׃
For the one who told me, saying, ‘Behold, Shaʾul is dead,’ and he was as one who brought good news in his own eyes, I seized him and killed him in Tsiqlag, which was to give him the reward for the news.
Morphology
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces reason or explanation.
- הַמַּגִּיד֩ (ha-maggid) – Root: נגד; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the one who told”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- לִ֨י (li) – Root: אני; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates recipient of speech.
- לֵאמֹ֜ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הִנֵּה־מֵ֣ת (hinneh-met) – Root: מות; Form: Interjection + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “Behold, [he is] dead”; Notes: Announcement of death.
- שָׁא֗וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שאול; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Former king of Yisraʾel.
- וְהֽוּא־הָיָ֤ה (ve-hu hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Conjunction + pronoun + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “and he was”; Notes: Continues narration about the man.
- כִמְבַשֵּׂר֙ (kimvaser) – Root: בשר; Form: Preposition + Piel participle masculine singular; Translation: “as one bringing good news”; Notes: Indicates perceived intent.
- בְּעֵינָ֔יו (be-ʿeinav) – Root: עין; Form: Preposition + noun dual + 3ms suffix; Translation: “in his eyes”; Notes: Idiom meaning “in his opinion.”
- וָאֹחֲזָ֣ה (vaʾoḥazah) – Root: אחז; Form: Vav-conversive + Qal imperfect 1cs; Translation: “and I seized”; Notes: Dawid speaking in first person.
- בֹ֔ו (bo) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “him”; Notes: Object of the verb “seized.”
- וָאֶהְרְגֵ֖הוּ (vaʾehargehu) – Root: הרג; Form: Vav-conversive + Qal imperfect 1cs + 3ms suffix; Translation: “and I killed him”; Notes: Continuation of personal narrative.
- בְּצִֽקְלָ֑ג (be-Tsiqlag) – Root: צקלג; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Tsiqlag”; Notes: The location of the execution.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces purpose clause.
- לְתִתִּי־לֹ֖ו (letitti-lo) – Root: נתן; Form: Infinitive construct + 1cs suffix + preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “to give to him”; Notes: Refers to reward or compensation.
- בְּשֹׂרָֽה (besorah) – Root: בשר; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “news”; Notes: Specifically, the news of Shaʾul’s death.