וַיָּ֤שָׁב אַבְנֵר֙ חֶבְרֹ֔ון וַיַּטֵּ֤הוּ יֹואָב֙ אֶל־תֹּ֣וךְ הַשַּׁ֔עַר לְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתֹּ֖ו בַּשֶּׁ֑לִי וַיַּכֵּ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ וַיָּ֕מָת בְּדַ֖ם עֲשָׂהאֵ֥ל אָחִֽיו׃
And Avner returned to Ḥevron, and Yoʾav turned him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the abdomen, and he died—for the blood of ʿAsaʾel his brother.
Morphology
- וַיָּ֤שָׁב (vayyāšav) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Wayyiqtol (Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular); Translation: “And he returned”; Notes: Narrative past tense with vav consecutive.
- אַבְנֵר֙ (ʾAvner) – Root: אבנר; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avner”; Notes: Name meaning “father of light.”
- חֶבְרֹ֔ון (Ḥevron) – Root: חברון; Form: Proper noun, place name; Translation: “Ḥevron”; Notes: A city in Yehudah.
- וַיַּטֵּ֤הוּ (vayyattehu) – Root: נטה; Form: Wayyiqtol (Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular + 3ms suffix); Translation: “And he turned him aside”; Notes: Causative action.
- יֹואָב֙ (Yoʾav) – Root: יואב; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoʾav”; Notes: Son of Tseruyah, commander of Dawid’s army.
- אֶל־תֹּ֣וךְ (ʾel-tokh) – Root: תוך; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “into the midst”; Notes: Indicates movement toward an interior space.
- הַשַּׁ֔עַר (ha-shaʿar) – Root: שׁער; Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the gate”; Notes: City gate often used for legal and political matters.
- לְדַבֵּ֥ר (ledabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Infinitive construct, Piel; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: Indicates purpose.
- אִתֹּ֖ו (itto) – Root: את; Form: Preposition + 3ms pronominal suffix; Translation: “with him”; Notes: Indicates accompaniment.
- בַּשֶּׁ֑לִי (ba-sheli) – Root: שׁלה; Form: Preposition + noun with definite article; Translation: “in private” or “quietly”; Notes: Uncommon form possibly denoting secrecy or ease.
- וַיַּכֵּ֤הוּ (vayyakkehu) – Root: נכה; Form: Wayyiqtol (Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular + 3ms suffix); Translation: “and he struck him”; Notes: Hifil denotes causing injury.
- שָׁם֙ (sham) – Root: שם; Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies location of the event.
- הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ (ha-ḥomesh) – Root: חמש; Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the abdomen” or “fifth rib”; Notes: Fatal strike zone in biblical literature.
- וַיָּ֕מָת (vayyāmot) – Root: מות; Form: Wayyiqtol (Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular); Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Concludes the action.
- בְּדַ֖ם (be-dam) – Root: דם; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “for the blood”; Notes: Indicates reason for the killing.
- עֲשָׂה־אֵ֥ל (ʿAsaʾel) – Root: עשה־אל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿAsaʾel”; Notes: Brother of Yoʾav whom Avner had killed.
- אָחִֽיו (ʾaḥiv) – Root: אח; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “his brother”; Notes: Refers to Yoʾav’s relationship to ʿAsaʾel.