וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵלִ֣י לִשְׁמוּאֵל֮ לֵ֣ךְ שְׁכָב֒ וְהָיָה֙ אִם־יִקְרָ֣א אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ דַּבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בִּמְקֹומֹֽו׃
And ʿEli said to Shemuʾel, “Go, lie down, and if He calls you, then you shall say, ‘Speak, YHWH, for Your servant is listening.’” So Shemuʾel went and lay down in his place.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces ʿEli’s speech.
- עֵלִ֣י (ʿEli) – Root: עלי (ʿEli); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “ʿEli”; Notes: The speaker.
- לִשְׁמוּאֵל֮ (li-Shemuʾel) – Root: שמואל (Shemuʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “to Shemuʾel”; Notes: The recipient of ʿEli’s instruction.
- לֵ֣ךְ (lekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Command to Shemuʾel.
- שְׁכָב֒ (shekav) – Root: שכב (shakhav); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “lie down”; Notes: Second command.
- וְהָיָה֙ (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular (with vav-consecutive); Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- אִם־יִקְרָ֣א (im-yiqra) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “if He calls”; Notes: Conditional clause referring to YHWH.
- אֵלֶ֔יךָ (elekha) – Root: אל (ʾel) + אתה (attah); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the call.
- וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular (with vav-consecutive); Translation: “then you shall say”; Notes: Instruction for Shemuʾel’s response.
- דַּבֵּ֣ר (dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: A direct request to YHWH.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The one being addressed.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- שֹׁמֵ֖עַ (shomea) – Root: שמע (shama); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “is listening”; Notes: Describes the servant’s attentiveness.
- עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ (avdekha) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your servant”; Notes: A term of humility.
- וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ (va-yelekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “So he went”; Notes: Shemuʾel obeys.
- שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל (Shemuʾel) – Root: שמואל (Shemuʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Shemuʾel”; Notes: The subject of the action.
- וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב (va-yishkav) – Root: שכב (shakhav); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and lay down”; Notes: He follows ʿEli’s instructions.
- בִּמְקֹומֹֽו (bimkomo) – Root: מקום (maqom); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his place”; Notes: Indicates where Shemuʾel lay.