וַיַּעַן֩ כָּל־אִ֨ישׁ יְהוּדָ֜ה עַל־אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כִּֽי־קָרֹ֤וב הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֵלַ֔י וְלָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ חָרָ֣ה לְךָ֔ עַל־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה הֶאָכֹ֤ול אָכַ֨לְנוּ֙ מִן־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־נִשֵּׂ֥את נִשָּׂ֖א לָֽנוּ׃ ס
And every man of Yehuda answered the men of Yisraʾel, “Because the king is near to me. And why is this angry to you over this matter? Have we eaten at all from the king? Has any gift been lifted for us?”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן (vayyaʿan) – Root: ענה; Form: Wayyiqtol Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces a reply in narrative.
- כָּל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה (kol-ish Yehudah) – Root: כל, איש, יהודה; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “every man of Yehudah”; Notes: Collective subject answering Yisraʾel.
- עַל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל (ʿal-ish Yisraʾel) – Root: על, איש, ישראל; Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “to the man of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Indicates directed reply or response.
- כִּי־קָרֹוב (ki-qarov) – Root: קרב; Form: Conjunction + adjective masculine singular; Translation: “Because near”; Notes: Justifies their action or claim.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite noun; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Dawid.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates closeness or allegiance.
- וְלָמָּה (ve-lamah) – Root: מה; Form: Conjunction + interrogative; Translation: “And why”; Notes: Begins a rhetorical question.
- זֶּה (zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the situation in question.
- חָרָה (ḥarah) – Root: חרה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “was angry”; Notes: Used impersonally or passively.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 2nd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct object of emotion.
- עַל־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה (ʿal-ha-davar ha-zeh) – Root: על, דבר, זה; Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “over this matter”; Notes: Refers to the dispute about the king’s return.
- הֶאָכֹול אָכַלְנוּ (he-akhol akhalnu) – Root: אכל; Form: Infinitive absolute + Qal perfect 1st plural; Translation: “Have we eaten at all”; Notes: Emphatic negation using infinitive absolute.
- מִן־הַמֶּלֶךְ (min-ha-melekh) – Root: מן, מלך; Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “from the king”; Notes: Denies material benefit.
- אִם־נִשֵּׂאת נִשָּׂא (im-nisseʾt nissa) – Root: נשא; Form: Conditional particle + Nifal perfect 3rd singular; Translation: “Has anything been lifted”; Notes: Emphasizes they took no reward or advantage.
- לָנוּ (lanu) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “for us”; Notes: Ends rhetorical question with implied denial.