וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֜הּ אֶלְקָנָ֣ה אִישָׁ֗הּ חַנָּה֙ לָ֣מֶה תִבְכִּ֗י וְלָ֨מֶה֙ לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְלִ֔י וְלָ֖מֶה יֵרַ֣ע לְבָבֵ֑ךְ הֲלֹ֤וא אָֽנֹכִי֙ טֹ֣וב לָ֔ךְ מֵעֲשָׂרָ֖ה בָּנִֽים׃
And Elqana her husband said to her, “Ḥanna, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- לָ֜הּ (lah) – Root: לה (lah); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Indicates recipient of speech.
- אֶלְקָנָ֣ה (Elqanah) – Root: אלקנה (Elqanah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Elqanah”; Notes: Personal name.
- אִישָׁ֗הּ (ishah) – Root: איש (ish); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her husband”; Notes: Possessive form.
- חַנָּה֙ (Ḥannah) – Root: חנה (Ḥannah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥannah”; Notes: Vocative.
- לָ֣מֶה (lameh) – Root: למה (lamah); Form: Interrogative; Translation: “Why?”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- תִבְכִּ֗י (tivki) – Root: בכה (bakah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “do you weep”; Notes: Direct address to Ḥannah.
- וְלָ֨מֶה֙ (ve-lameh) – Root: למה (lamah); Form: Interrogative with conjunction; Translation: “And why?”; Notes: Connects parallel question.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates verb.
- תֹֽאכְלִ֔י (toʾkhli) – Root: אכל (akhal); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “do you eat”; Notes: Direct address.
- וְלָ֖מֶה (ve-lameh) – Root: למה (lamah); Form: Interrogative with conjunction; Translation: “And why?”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- יֵרַ֣ע (yeraʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is grieved”; Notes: Describes state of being.
- לְבָבֵ֑ךְ (levavekh) – Root: לב (lev); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your heart”; Notes: Direct reference to Ḥannah.
- הֲלֹ֤וא (halo) – Root: הלא (halo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Am I not?”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
- אָֽנֹכִי֙ (anokhi) – Root: אנכי (anokhi); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic pronoun.
- טֹ֣וב (tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “better”; Notes: Comparative statement.
- לָ֔ךְ (lakh) – Root: לך (lakh); Form: Preposition with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct reference to Ḥannah.
- מֵעֲשָׂרָ֖ה (me-ʿasarah) – Root: עשר (ʿeser); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with preposition; Translation: “than ten”; Notes: Part of comparison.
- בָּנִֽים (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Object of comparison.