וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַֽה־תָּאֳרֹ֔ו וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אִ֤ישׁ זָקֵן֙ עֹלֶ֔ה וְה֥וּא עֹטֶ֖ה מְעִ֑יל וַיֵּ֤דַע שָׁאוּל֙ כִּֽי־שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל ה֔וּא וַיִּקֹּ֥ד אַפַּ֛יִם אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃ ס
And he said to her, “What does he look like?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a cloak.” And Shaʾul knew that it was Shemuʾel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Shaʾul’s question.
- לָהּ֙ (lah) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to the woman being addressed.
- מַֽה־תָּאֳרֹ֔ו (mah-taʾaro) – Root: אור (ʾur); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “What does he look like?”; Notes: Shaʾul asking for a description of Samuel’s appearance.
- וַתֹּ֗אמֶר (vatomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Introduces the woman’s response.
- אִ֤ישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ish); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Refers to the figure appearing in the medium’s vision.
- זָקֵן֙ (zaqin) – Root: זקן (zaqan); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “old”; Notes: Describes the man’s appearance as elderly.
- עֹלֶ֔ה (oleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “coming up”; Notes: Refers to the figure ascending in the medium’s vision.
- וְה֥וּא (ve-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “and he”; Notes: Refers to the old man being described.
- עֹטֶ֖ה (ʿoteh) – Root: עטה (ʿatah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “covered”; Notes: Refers to the old man being wrapped in a cloak.
- מְעִ֑יל (meʿil) – Root: מעיל (meʿil); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “cloak”; Notes: Refers to the outer garment of the figure.
- וַיֵּ֤דַע (vayeḏaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he knew”; Notes: Shaʾul realizes who the figure is.
- שָׁאוּל֙ (Shaʾul) – Root: שׁואל (Shaʾul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shaʾul”; Notes: Refers to the king of Yisraʾel.
- כִּֽי־שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל (ki-Shemuʾel) – Root: שׁמואל (Shemuʾel); Form: Proper noun with conjunction; Translation: “that it was Samuel”; Notes: Shaʾul identifies the figure as the prophet Samuel.
- ה֔וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to the figure that Shaʾul now recognizes as Samuel.
- וַיִּקֹּ֥ד (vayiqod) – Root: קדד (qadad); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he bowed”; Notes: Shaʾul shows respect and honor to the prophet Samuel.
- אַפַּ֛יִם (appayim) – Root: אף (ʾaf); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “his face”; Notes: Refers to Shaʾul bowing down with his face to the ground.
- אַרְצָה (artzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾeretz); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to the ground”; Notes: Refers to the ground where Shaʾul prostrated himself.
- וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ (vayishṭaḥu) – Root: שתח (shaṭaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and he prostrated himself”; Notes: Shaʾul shows total humility and respect by prostrating before Samuel.