וּלְבֵ֨ית שָׁא֥וּל עֶ֨בֶד֙ וּשְׁמֹ֣ו צִיבָ֔א וַיִּקְרְאוּ־לֹ֖ו אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ אֵלָ֛יו הַאַתָּ֥ה צִיבָ֖א וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
And there was a servant of the house of Shaʾul, and his name was Tsiva, and they called him to Dawid. And the king said to him, “Are you Tsiva?” And he said, “Your servant.”
Morphology
- וּלְבֵ֨ית (u-le-veit) – Root: בית (beit); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun in construct state; Translation: “And to the house of”; Notes: Introduces the subject related to Shaʾul’s house.
- שָׁא֥וּל (Shaʾul) – Root: שאול; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Refers to the former king of Yisraʾel.
- עֶ֨בֶד (ʿeved) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a servant”; Notes: Subject of the clause, one belonging to Shaʾul’s household.
- וּשְׁמֹ֣ו (u-shemo) – Root: שם; Form: Conjunction + noun with 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and his name”; Notes: Introduces identity of the servant.
- צִיבָ֔א (Tsiva) – Root: ציבא; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tsiva”; Notes: Name of Shaʾul’s servant.
- וַיִּקְרְאוּ־לֹ֖ו (vayyikreʾu-lo) – Root: קרא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine plural + pronominal suffix; Translation: “and they called him”; Notes: Refers to summoning Tsiva.
- אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד (el-Dawid) – Root: אל, דוד; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: Destination of the calling.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Narrative continuation.
- הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- אֵלָ֛יו (elav) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Recipient of the speech.
- הַאַתָּ֥ה (ha-atta) – Root: אתה; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Are you”; Notes: Used for emphasis in question.
- צִיבָ֖א (Tsiva) – Root: ציבא; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tsiva”; Notes: Repeated for direct address.
- וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Tsiva’s response.
- עַבְדֶּֽךָ (avdekha) – Root: עבד; Form: Noun with 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Standard expression of humility before a king.