וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד לַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ צִוַּ֣נִי דָבָר֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י אִ֣ישׁ אַל־יֵ֧דַע מְא֛וּמָה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִ֥י שֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֑ךָ וְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֣ים יֹודַ֔עְתִּי אֶל־מְקֹ֥ום פְּלֹנִ֖י אַלְמֹונִֽי׃
And Dawid said to Aḥimelekh the priest, “The king has commanded me a matter,” and he said to me, ‘Let no man know anything of the matter about which I am sending you and which I have commanded you.’ And I have made known to the young men a certain place.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: A narrative past form.
- דָּוִ֜ד (Dāwid) – Root: דוד (Dāwid); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Name of King Dawid.
- לַאֲחִימֶ֣לֶךְ (la-ʾAḥimelekh) – Root: אחימלך (ʾAḥimelekh); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Aḥimelekh”; Notes: A priest in the time of Dawid.
- הַכֹּהֵ֗ן (ha-kōhēn) – Root: כהן (kōhēn); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: A title referring to Aḥimelekh.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to King Shaʾul.
- צִוַּ֣נִי (tsiwwanī) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “commanded me”; Notes: Piel intensifies the verb meaning.
- דָבָר֒ (dāvar) – Root: דבר (dāvar); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a matter”; Notes: Refers to a message or mission.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Continuing narrative sequence.
- אֵלַ֗י (ʾēlay) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates direction or recipient.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ʾīsh) – Root: איש (ʾīsh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to any person.
- אַל־יֵ֧דַע (ʾal-yēdaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with prohibitive particle; Translation: “let not know”; Notes: Negative command.
- מְא֛וּמָה (meʾūmāh) – Root: מאום (meʾūm); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Often used in negations.
- אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר (ʾet-ha-dāvar) – Root: דבר (dāvar); Form: Direct object marker + noun, masculine singular, definite; Translation: “the matter”; Notes: Accusative object of “let not know”.
- אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִ֥י (ʾasher-ʾānōkhi) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun + pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “which I”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- שֹׁלֵֽחֲךָ֖ (shōleḥakha) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “am sending you”; Notes: Participle used for present action.
- וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר (wa-ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and which”; Notes: Connects the two clauses.
- צִוִּיתִ֑ךָ (tsiwwītikha) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I have commanded you”; Notes: Piel form indicates authoritative command.
- וְאֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֣ים (ve-ʾet-ha-neʿarim) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun, masculine plural, definite; Translation: “and the young men”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s attendants.
- יֹודַ֔עְתִּי (yodaʿti) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have made known”; Notes: Expresses completed action.
- אֶל־מְקֹ֥ום (ʾel-meqōm) – Root: מקום (maqōm); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to a place”; Notes: Indicates direction.
- פְּלֹנִ֖י אַלְמֹונִֽי (pelōnī ʾalmonī) – Root: פלוני עלמוני (pelōnī ʾalmonī); Form: Phrase; Translation: “a certain place”; Notes: A general or unspecified location.