וַתֵּבְךְּ֩ אֵ֨שֶׁת שִׁמְשֹׁ֜ון עָלָ֗יו וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ רַק־שְׂנֵאתַ֨נִי֙ וְלֹ֣א אֲהַבְתָּ֔נִי הַֽחִידָ֥ה חַ֨דְתָּ֙ לִבְנֵ֣י עַמִּ֔י וְלִ֖י לֹ֣א הִגַּ֑דְתָּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הִנֵּ֨ה לְאָבִ֧י וּלְאִמִּ֛י לֹ֥א הִגַּ֖דְתִּי וְלָ֥ךְ אַגִּֽיד׃
And the wife of Shimshon wept upon him and said, “You only hate me and do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not told it to me!” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or my mother, and shall I tell it to you?”
Morphology
- וַתֵּבְךְּ֩ (vatevk) – Root: בכה (bakah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she wept”; Notes: Indicates an emotional reaction.
- אֵ֨שֶׁת שִׁמְשֹׁ֜ון (eshet Shimshon) – Root: אשה (ishah) + שמשון (Shimshon); Form: Construct noun with proper noun; Translation: “the wife of Shimshon”; Notes: Indicates possession.
- עָלָ֗יו (alav) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon him”; Notes: Indicates the object of her action.
- וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ (vatoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- רַק־שְׂנֵאתַ֨נִי֙ (raq-senetanī) – Root: שנא (sane); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “You only hate me”; Notes: Expresses grievance.
- וְלֹ֣א אֲהַבְתָּ֔נִי (velo ahavtani) – Root: אהב (ʾahav); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and you do not love me”; Notes: Parallel contrast with hatred.
- הַֽחִידָ֥ה (haḥidah) – Root: חוד (ḥud); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the riddle”; Notes: Refers to Shimshon’s challenge.
- חַ֨דְתָּ֙ (ḥadta) – Root: חוד (ḥud); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have posed”; Notes: Past action of posing a riddle.
- לִבְנֵ֣י עַמִּ֔י (livnei ʿami) – Root: בן (ben) + עם (ʿam); Form: Construct noun phrase; Translation: “to the sons of my people”; Notes: Refers to her kin.
- וְלִ֖י (veli) – Root: ל (l) + אני (ani); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “but to me”; Notes: Emphasizes exclusion.
- לֹ֣א הִגַּ֑דְתָּה (lo higgadta) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have not told”; Notes: Strong accusatory tone.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ (vayomer lah) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “And he said to her”; Notes: Introduces Shimshon’s reply.
- הִנֵּ֨ה (hinneh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Calls attention to the statement.
- לְאָבִ֧י (le-avi) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to my father”; Notes: First reference to those he has not told.
- וּלְאִמִּ֛י (u-le-immī) – Root: אם (em); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and to my mother”; Notes: Parallel structure with “my father.”
- לֹ֥א הִגַּ֖דְתִּי (lo higgadti) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have not told”; Notes: Justification for not revealing the riddle.
- וְלָ֥ךְ (velakh) – Root: ל (l) + את (at); Form: Preposition with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and to you”; Notes: Emphasizes rhetorical contrast.
- אַגִּֽיד (aggid) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “shall I tell”; Notes: Expresses incredulity.