וְאוּלָ֗ם חַי־יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר מְנָעַ֔נִי מֵהָרַ֖ע אֹתָ֑ךְ כִּ֣י לוּלֵ֣י מִהַ֗רְתְּ וּבָאתִ֛י לִקְרָאתִ֔י כִּ֣י אִם־נֹותַ֧ר לְנָבָ֛ל עַד־אֹ֥ור הַבֹּ֖קֶר מַשְׁתִּ֥ין בְּקִֽיר׃
But as YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, surely, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, there would not have remained to Naval by morning light one who urinates against the wall.”
Morphology
- וְאוּלָ֗ם (ve-ulam) – Root: אוּלָם (ulam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “But indeed”; Notes: Introduces contrast.
- חַי־יְהוָה֙ (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular construct; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: An oath formula.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (ʾElohei) – Root: אלה (ʾElohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the God of”; Notes: Refers to divine authority.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Identifies the covenant nation.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces the clause.
- מְנָעַ֔נִי (menaʿani) – Root: מנע (manaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “has restrained me”; Notes: Indicates divine intervention.
- מֵהָרַ֖ע (me-ha-raʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “from harming”; Notes: Expresses prevented evil.
- אֹתָ֑ךְ (otakh) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Directly addressing Avigayil.
- כִּ֣י לוּלֵ֣י (ki-lulei) – Root: לול (lul); Form: Conditional phrase; Translation: “surely, if not”; Notes: Introduces hypothetical condition.
- מִהַ֗רְתְּ (mihart) – Root: מהר (mahar); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you had hurried”; Notes: Expresses urgency.
- וּבָאתִ֛י (u-vati) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “and come”; Notes: Parallel action to the previous verb.
- לִקְרָאתִ֔י (liqerati) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Qal infinitive construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to meet me”; Notes: Expresses purpose.
- כִּ֣י אִם־ (ki im) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional phrase; Translation: “surely”; Notes: Introduces the consequence.
- נֹותַ֧ר (notar) – Root: יתר (yatar); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “remained”; Notes: Denotes survival.
- לְנָבָ֛ל (le-Naval) – Root: נבל (Naval); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to Naval”; Notes: The subject of the hypothetical event.
- עַד־אֹ֥ור (ʿad-or) – Root: אור (ʾor); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “until morning light”; Notes: Specifies time.
- הַבֹּ֖קֶר (ha-boqer) – Root: בקר (boqer); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “morning”; Notes: Reinforces the time frame.
- מַשְׁתִּ֥ין (mashtin) – Root: שתן (shatan); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “one who urinates”; Notes: Colloquial phrase.
- בְּקִֽיר (be-qir) – Root: קיר (qir); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “against the wall”; Notes: Idiomatic for men.