וַיֹּ֤אמֶר צִיבָא֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֲדֹנִ֤י הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֶת־עַבְדֹּ֔ו כֵּ֖ן יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וּמְפִיבֹ֗שֶׁת אֹכֵל֙ עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִ֔י כְּאַחַ֖ד מִבְּנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
And Tsiva said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” And Mefivoshet eats at my table like one of the sons of the king.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- צִיבָא (Tsiva) – Root: ציבא; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tsiva”; Notes: Name of Shaʾul’s former servant.
- אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- כְּכֹל (ke-kol) – Root: כל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “according to all”; Notes: Introduces extent of obedience.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause.
- יְצַוֶּה (yetsavveh) – Root: צוה; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “commands”; Notes: Intensive stem for giving orders.
- אֲדֹנִי (adoni) – Root: אדן; Form: Noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Honorific for the king.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Apposition to “my lord.”
- אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ (et-ʿavdo) – Root: עבד; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his servant”; Notes: Refers to Tsiva.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Affirms compliance.
- יַעֲשֶׂה (yaʿaseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will do”; Notes: Refers to Tsiva’s action.
- עַבְדֶּךָ (ʿavdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Humble self-reference.
- וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת (u-Mefivoshet) – Root: מפיבשׁת; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “And Mefivoshet”; Notes: Highlights his position.
- אֹכֵל (okhel) – Root: אכל; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “eats”; Notes: Ongoing habitual action.
- עַל־שֻׁלְחָנִי (ʿal-shulḥani) – Root: שלחן; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “at my table”; Notes: Indicates personal honor and proximity to the king.
- כְּאַחַד (ke-aḥad) – Root: אחד; Form: Preposition + cardinal number; Translation: “like one”; Notes: Comparative expression of equality.
- מִבְּנֵי (mi-benei) – Root: בן; Form: Preposition + construct plural masculine noun; Translation: “of the sons of”; Notes: Partitive phrase.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Indicates Mefivoshet’s royal treatment.