וַתִּדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר וַתֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה בָּעֳנִ֣י אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ וּזְכַרְתַּ֨נִי֙ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּנְתַתִּ֤יו לַֽיהוָה֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו וּמֹורָ֖ה לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־רֹאשֹֽׁו׃
And she vowed a vow and said, “YHWH of Hosts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me, and do not forget Your handmaid, and You give to Your handmaid a male child, then I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and a razor shall not come upon his head.”
Morphology
- וַתִּדֹּ֨ר (vattidor) – Root: נדר (nadar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she vowed”; Notes: A solemn commitment.
- נֶ֜דֶר (neder) – Root: נדר (neder); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a vow”; Notes: A formal promise.
- וַתֹּאמַ֗ר (vattomar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- יְהוָ֨ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name.
- צְבָאֹ֜ות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsava); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “of Hosts”; Notes: Refers to divine military power.
- אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה (ʾim-raʾoh tirʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal infinitive absolute + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “if You will indeed look”; Notes: Expresses strong emphasis.
- בָּעֳנִ֣י (baʿoni) – Root: עני (ʿoni); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “upon the affliction”; Notes: Refers to suffering.
- אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ (amatekha) – Root: אמה (ʾamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “of Your handmaid”; Notes: Indicates humility.
- וּזְכַרְתַּ֨נִי֙ (uzekhartan) – Root: זכר (zakhar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and You remember me”; Notes: Expresses request.
- וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח (ve-lo tishkaḥ) – Root: שכח (shakhaḥ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and do not forget”; Notes: Parallel to remembering.
- אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ (et-amatekha) – Root: אמה (ʾamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your handmaid”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- וְנָתַתָּ֥ה (venatattah) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and You give”; Notes: Conditional request.
- לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ (la-amatkha) – Root: אמה (ʾamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition and 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to Your handmaid”; Notes: Object of request.
- זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים (zeraʿ anashim) – Root: זרע (zeraʿ) + אנש (ʾenosh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + noun, masculine plural; Translation: “a male child”; Notes: Refers to a male descendant.
- וּנְתַתִּ֤יו (unetatttiv) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and I will give him”; Notes: Expresses dedication.
- לַֽיהוָה֙ (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: Direct object of dedication.
- כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו (kol-yemei ḥayyav) – Root: כל (kol) + יום (yom) + חיה (ḥayah); Form: Noun construct phrase; Translation: “all the days of his life”; Notes: Indicates lifelong commitment.
- וּמֹורָ֖ה (u-morah) – Root: מור (mor); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and a razor”; Notes: Refers to the Nazirite vow, which prohibits shaving.
- לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה (lo-yaʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall not come up”; Notes: Indicates prohibition.
- עַל־רֹאשֹֽׁו (ʿal-rosho) – Root: ראש (rosh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition and 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon his head”; Notes: Completes the prohibition.