וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֤ל אֶל־הָעָם֙ אַל־תִּירָ֔אוּ אַתֶּ֣ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את אַ֗ךְ אַל־תָּס֨וּרוּ֙ מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֥ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶֽם
And Shemuʾel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following YHWH, but serve YHWH with all your heart.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vaiyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative past tense.
- שְׁמוּאֵ֤ל (Shemuʾel) – Root: שמואל (Shemuʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shemuʾel”; Notes: Refers to the prophet.
- אֶל־הָעָם֙ (el-haʿam) – Root: אל (el), עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of speech.
- אַל־תִּירָ֔אוּ (ʾal-tiraʾu) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural with negative particle; Translation: “Do not fear”; Notes: Command prohibiting fear.
- אַתֶּ֣ם (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun, 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “You”; Notes: Emphasizing the audience.
- עֲשִׂיתֶ֔ם (ʿasitem) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “You have done”; Notes: Completed action.
- אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָרָעָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את (ʾet kol-haraʿah hazot) – Root: רע (raʿ); Form: Direct object marker + noun, feminine singular construct + definite article + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “all this evil”; Notes: Specifies what they have done.
- אַ֗ךְ (ʾakh) – Root: אך (ʾakh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Yet”; Notes: Contrastive conjunction.
- אַל־תָּס֨וּרוּ֙ (ʾal-tasuru) – Root: סור (sur); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural with negative particle; Translation: “Do not turn away”; Notes: Prohibition against abandoning YHWH.
- מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י (meʾaḥarei) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “from following”; Notes: Indicates movement away.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the divine name.
- וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֥ם (vaʿavadtem) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “but serve”; Notes: Imperative-like function.
- אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה (ʾet-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Identifies the recipient of service.
- בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶֽם (bekhol-levavkhem) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “with all your heart”; Notes: Expresses wholehearted devotion.