וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו זְבֻ֗ל אַיֵּ֨ה אֵפֹ֥וא פִ֨יךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאמַ֔ר מִ֥י אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ הֲלֹ֨א זֶ֤ה הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָאַ֣סְתָּה בֹּ֔ו צֵא־נָ֥א עַתָּ֖ה וְהִלָּ֥חֶם בֹּֽו׃ ס
And Zevul said to him, “Where now is your mouth, that you said, ‘Who is Avimelekh that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight against them!”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Zebul’s speech.
- אֵלָ֜יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Gaal.
- זְבֻ֗ל (Zəvul) – Root: זבול (Zəvul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Zebul”; Notes: The speaker.
- אַיֵּ֨ה (ʾayyeh) – Root: אי (ʾay); Form: Interrogative; Translation: “Where”; Notes: Expresses challenge.
- אֵפֹ֥וא (ʾefo) – Root: אפו (ʾefo); Form: Adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Reinforces urgency.
- פִ֨יךָ֙ (pika) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your mouth”; Notes: Metaphor for speech.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces clause.
- תֹּאמַ֔ר (toʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you said”; Notes: Refers to past speech.
- מִ֥י (mi) – Root: מי (mi); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Questions Abimelek’s authority.
- אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ (ʾAvimelekh) – Root: אבימלך (ʾAvimelekh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Abimelek”; Notes: Subject of challenge.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces reasoning.
- נַעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ (naʿavdennu) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “we should serve him”; Notes: Expresses past refusal.
- הֲלֹ֨א (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle + negative; Translation: “Is this not”; Notes: Rhetorical challenge.
- זֶ֤ה (zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points to the people.
- הָעָם֙ (haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to Abimelek’s forces.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces clause.
- מָאַ֣סְתָּה (maʾasta) – Root: מאס (maʾas); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you despised”; Notes: Past rejection.
- בֹּ֔ו (bo) – Root: ב (b); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abimelek.
- צֵא־נָ֥א (tse-na) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular + particle; Translation: “Go out now”; Notes: Command.
- עַתָּ֖ה (ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Emphasizes urgency.
- וְהִלָּ֥חֶם (vəhillaḥem) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and fight”; Notes: Challenge to battle.
- בֹּֽו׃ (bo) – Root: ב (b); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against him”; Notes: Refers to Abimelek.