וְעַתָּ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֗י חַי־יְהוָ֤ה וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר מְנָעֲךָ֤ יְהוָה֙ מִבֹּ֣וא בְדָמִ֔ים וְהֹושֵׁ֥עַ יָדְךָ֖ לָ֑ךְ וְעַתָּ֗ה יִֽהְי֤וּ כְנָבָל֙ אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ וְהַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֖י רָעָֽה׃
And now, my lord, as YHWH lives and as your soul lives, since YHWH has restrained you from coming in bloodshed and from saving your hand for yourself, now let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord be as Naval.
Morphology
- וְעַתָּ֣ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Introduces a new statement.
- אֲדֹנִ֗י (ʾadoni) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Addressing Dawid.
- חַי־יְהוָ֤ה (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective + Proper noun; Translation: “as YHWH lives”; Notes: Oath formula.
- וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ (ve-ḥei-nafshekha) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and as your soul lives”; Notes: Reinforces the oath.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “since”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- מְנָעֲךָ֤ (menaʿakha) – Root: מנע (manaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “has restrained you”; Notes: Action attributed to YHWH.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The subject of the verb.
- מִבֹּ֣וא (mi-bo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “from coming”; Notes: Prohibition of an action.
- בְדָמִ֔ים (be-damim) – Root: דם (dam); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “in bloodshed”; Notes: Refers to violence.
- וְהֹושֵׁ֥עַ (ve-hoshiʿa) – Root: ישׁע (yashaʿ); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “and from saving”; Notes: Prohibition of self-defense.
- יָדְךָ֖ (yadekha) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your hand”; Notes: Symbolic of action.
- לָ֑ךְ (lakh) – Root: לך (lakh); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Emphasizes self-reliance.
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿattah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Introduces a request.
- יִֽהְי֤וּ (yihyu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “let them be”; Notes: Expresses a wish.
- כְנָבָל֙ (ke-Naval) – Root: נבל (Naval); Form: Proper noun with comparative prefix; Translation: “as Naval”; Notes: Comparison to a fool.
- אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ (oyvekha) – Root: אויב (oyev); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your enemies”; Notes: Refers to Dawid’s adversaries.
- וְהַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֥ים (ve-hamvaqshim) – Root: בקש (baqash); Form: Piel participle masculine plural, definite; Translation: “and those who seek”; Notes: Describes enemies’ intent.
- אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֖י (el-ʾadoni) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “against my lord”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- רָעָֽה (raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: The intended harm.