וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָעָ֜ם אֶל־שָׁא֗וּל הֲֽיֹונָתָ֤ן יָמוּת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָ֠שָׂה הַיְשׁוּעָ֨ה הַגְּדֹולָ֣ה הַזֹּאת֮ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒ חָלִ֗ילָה חַי־יְהוָה֙ אִם־יִפֹּ֞ל מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤ת רֹאשֹׁו֙ אַ֔רְצָה כִּֽי־עִם־אֱלֹהִ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ה הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּפְדּ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֶת־יֹונָתָ֖ן וְלֹא־מֵֽת׃ ס
And the people said to Shaʾul, “Shall Yonatan die, who has worked this great salvation in Yisraʾel? Far be it! As YHWH lives, not a single hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has acted with God this day.” So the people redeemed Yonatan, and he did not die.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces speech.
- הָעָ֜ם (haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the people”; Notes: The collective body speaking.
- אֶל־שָׁא֗וּל (ʾel-Shaʾul) – Root: שאול (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular, with preposition; Translation: “to Shaʾul”; Notes: Addressing the king.
- הֲֽיֹונָתָ֤ן (ha-Yonatan) – Root: יונתן (Yonatan); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular, interrogative; Translation: “Shall Yonatan”; Notes: Emphasizes the rhetorical question.
- יָמוּת֙ (yamut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “die”; Notes: Refers to potential execution.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Yonatan.
- עָ֠שָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has worked”; Notes: Completed action.
- הַיְשׁוּעָ֨ה (hayeshuʿah) – Root: ישע (yeshaʿ); Form: Noun, feminine singular, definite; Translation: “the salvation”; Notes: Refers to the victory.
- הַגְּדֹולָ֣ה (haggdolah) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective, feminine singular, definite; Translation: “great”; Notes: Describes the salvation.
- הַזֹּאת֮ (hazzot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the salvation.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל֒ (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular, with preposition; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Specifies location.
- חָלִ֗ילָה (ḥalilah) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Far be it!”; Notes: Expresses strong negation.
- חַי־יְהוָה֙ (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective with divine name; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: Oath formula.
- אִם־יִפֹּ֞ל (ʾim-yipol) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “not a single shall fall”; Notes: Introduces negation.
- מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤ת (missaʿarat) – Root: שער (saʿar); Form: Noun, feminine singular, construct; Translation: “from the hair of”; Notes: Metaphor for protection.
- רֹאשֹׁו֙ (rosho) – Root: ראש (rosh); Form: Noun, masculine singular, with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his head”; Notes: Emphasizes Yonatan’s safety.
- אַ֔רְצָה (ʾartzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾeretz); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “to the ground”; Notes: Finality of death.
- כִּֽי־עִם־אֱלֹהִ֥ים (ki-ʿim-ʾelohim) – Root: אלהים (ʾelohim); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural; Translation: “for he has acted with Elohim”; Notes: Justification.
- וַיִּפְדּ֥וּ (vayyifdu) – Root: פדה (padah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “So they redeemed”; Notes: Act of saving.
- וְלֹא־מֵֽת (velo-met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he did not die”; Notes: Final outcome.