וַיְהִ֤י דָוִד֙ בָּ֣א עַד־הָרֹ֔אשׁ אֲשֶֽׁר־יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה שָׁ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים וְהִנֵּ֤ה לִקְרָאתֹו֙ חוּשַׁ֣י הָאַרְכִּ֔י קָר֨וּעַ֙ כֻּתָּנְתֹּ֔ו וַאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־רֹאשֹֽׁו׃
And Dawid came up to the summit, where he would bow down to God. And behold, Ḥushai the Arki came to meet him, with his tunic torn and dirt on his head.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֤י (vayehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And it happened”; Notes: Narrative introduction.
- דָוִד֙ (Dawid) – Root: דוד; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: Subject of the verb “came.”
- בָּ֣א (ba) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “came”; Notes: Main verb of movement.
- עַד־הָרֹ֔אשׁ (ʿad-ha-rosh) – Root: ראש; Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to the summit”; Notes: Refers to a hilltop or high place.
- אֲשֶֽׁר־יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה (asher-yishtakhaveh) – Root: חוה; Form: Relative pronoun + Hitpael imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “where he would bow down”; Notes: Describes customary worship practice.
- שָׁ֖ם (sham) – Root: שם; Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Locative emphasis.
- לֵאלֹהִ֑ים (le-Elohim) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine plural in form but singular in meaning; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
- וְהִנֵּ֤ה (ve-hinne) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Introduces dramatic appearance.
- לִקְרָאתֹו֙ (liqratto) – Root: קרא; Form: Preposition + noun in construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to meet him”; Notes: Purpose of Ḥushai’s arrival.
- חוּשַׁ֣י (Ḥushai) – Root: חושי; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ḥushai”; Notes: Loyal friend of Dawid.
- הָאַרְכִּ֔י (ha-Arki) – Root: ארך; Form: Noun gentilic with definite article; Translation: “the Arki”; Notes: Denotes geographic origin or family.
- קָר֨וּעַ֙ (karuʿa) – Root: קרע; Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “torn”; Notes: A sign of mourning.
- כֻּתָּנְתֹּ֔ו (kuttanto) – Root: כתנת; Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his tunic”; Notes: Garment worn on the body.
- וַאֲדָמָ֖ה (va-adamah) – Root: אדם; Form: Conjunction + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “and dirt”; Notes: Also a mourning gesture.
- עַל־רֹאשֹֽׁו (ʿal-rosho) – Root: ראש; Form: Preposition + noun + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “on his head”; Notes: Signifies grief or submission.