וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְשָׁלֹ֣ום אֶל־יֹואָ֡ב הִנֵּ֣ה שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ לֵאמֹ֡ר בֹּ֣א הֵ֠נָּה וְאֶשְׁלְחָה֩ אֹתְךָ֨ אֶל־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לֵאמֹ֗ר לָ֤מָּה בָּ֨אתִי֙ מִגְּשׁ֔וּר טֹ֥וב לִ֖י עֹ֣ד אֲנִי־שָׁ֑ם וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶרְאֶה֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאִם־יֶשׁ־בִּ֥י עָוֹ֖ן וֶהֱמִתָֽנִי׃
And Avshalom said to Yoʾav, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, and I will send you to the king to say: Why did I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me still to be there. And now, let me see the face of the king; and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech in narrative. Common biblical formula.
- אַבְשָׁלֹ֣ום (Avshalom) – Root: אבשלום; Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Avshalom”; Notes: The speaker in this context, son of Dawid.
- אֶל־יֹואָ֡ב (el-Yoʾav) – Root: יואב; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Yoʾav”; Notes: Direction of speech; Yoʾav is Dawid’s general.
- הִנֵּ֣ה (hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Used to draw attention, often emphatic in dialogue.
- שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי (shalakhti) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I sent”; Notes: Simple past tense describing completed action.
- אֵלֶ֣יךָ (eleykha) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Object of the verb *shalakhti*.
- לֵאמֹ֡ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces indirect speech or the content of the sending.
- בֹּ֣א (bo) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Come”; Notes: Direct command from Avshalom to Yoʾav.
- הֵ֠נָּה (henah) – Root: הנה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “here”; Notes: Indicates place or direction toward the speaker.
- וְאֶשְׁלְחָה֩ (ve-eshleḥah) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal cohortative 1st person common singular with vav-conjunctive; Translation: “and let me send”; Notes: Volitional form expressing intent or request.
- אֹתְךָ֨ (otekha) – Root: את; Form: Object marker + 2ms suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Direct object of the cohortative verb.
- אֶל־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (el-ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Prepositional phrase with definite noun; Translation: “to the king”; Notes: Refers to King Dawid.
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to say”; Notes: Continues the chain of reported speech.
- לָ֤מָּה (lammāh) – Root: למה; Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces the question addressed to the king.
- בָּ֨אתִי (baʾti) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I came”; Notes: Past tense, completed action.
- מִגְּשׁ֔וּר (mi-Geshur) – Root: גשׁור; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “from Geshur”; Notes: Place of Avshalom’s exile.
- טֹ֥וב (tov) – Root: טוב; Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “better”; Notes: Functions as predicate adjective.
- לִ֖י (li) – Root: לי; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Personal possession or experience.
- עֹ֣ד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “still”; Notes: Temporal marker of continuation.
- אֲנִי־שָׁ֑ם (ani sham) – Root: אני / שם; Form: Pronoun + adverb; Translation: “I [were] there”; Notes: Implied subjunctive: “It would have been better if I were still there.”
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עתה; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Temporal transition into a new appeal or request.
- אֶרְאֶה (erʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal imperfect 1cs; Translation: “let me see”; Notes: Volitional or jussive nuance in context of request.
- פְּנֵי (penei) – Root: פנה; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “face of”; Notes: Construct form introducing *the king* as possessed.
- הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- וְאִם־יֶשׁ־ (ve-im yesh) – Root: אם / ישׁ; Form: Conjunction + existential particle; Translation: “and if there is”; Notes: Conditional clause introducing possibility.
- בִּ֥י (bi) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “in me”; Notes: Indicates possession of guilt.
- עָוֹ֖ן (ʿavon) – Root: עון; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “guilt”; Notes: Often refers to moral or legal wrongdoing.
- וֶהֱמִתָֽנִי (ve-hemitani) – Root: מות; Form: Hifʿil jussive 3ms with 1cs suffix; Translation: “let him put me to death”; Notes: Causative action, expresses conditional submission to justice.