וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נָתָ֗ן אֶל־בַּת־שֶׁ֤בַע אֵם־שְׁלֹמֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲלֹ֣וא שָׁמַ֔עַתְּ כִּ֥י מָלַ֖ךְ אֲדֹנִיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־חַגִּ֑ית וַאֲדֹנֵ֥ינוּ דָוִ֖ד לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃
And Natan said to Bat-sheva, the mother of Shelomo, saying, “Have you not heard that Adoniyyahu son of Ḥaggit has reigned, and our lord Dawid does not know?
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech, typical narrative form.
- נָתָ֗ן (Natan) – Root: נתן (Natan); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Natan”; Notes: The prophet who served during Dawid’s reign.
- אֶל־בַּת־שֶׁ֤בַע (el-Bat-Shevaʿ) – Root: אל (ʾel), בת שבע (Bat-Shevaʿ); Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “to Bat-Sheva”; Notes: Direct speech directed to her.
- אֵם־שְׁלֹמֹה֙ (ʾem-Shelomoh) – Root: אם (ʾem), שלמה (Shelomoh); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “mother of Shelomoh”; Notes: Clarifies Bat-Sheva’s identity and role.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the speech.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle + negative; Translation: “Have you not…?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting a positive answer.
- שָׁמַ֔עַתְּ (shamaʿt) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you have heard”; Notes: Addressed to Bat-Sheva.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the content of what was supposedly heard.
- מָלַ֖ךְ (malakh) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has reigned”; Notes: Refers to Adoniyyahu’s self-asserted kingship.
- אֲדֹנִיָּ֣הוּ (Adoniyyahu) – Root: אדניה (Adoniyyahu); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Adoniyyahu”; Notes: Son of Dawid, attempting to claim the throne.
- בֶן־חַגִּ֑ית (ben-Ḥaggit) – Root: בן (ben), חגית (Ḥaggit); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Ḥaggit”; Notes: Identifies Adoniyyahu’s maternal lineage.
- וַאֲדֹנֵ֥ינוּ (va-adoneinu) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Conjunction + noun with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and our lord”; Notes: Refers to Dawid with possessive pronoun.
- דָוִ֖ד (Dawid) – Root: דוד (Dawid); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Dawid”; Notes: King of Yisraʾel and father of Adoniyyahu and Shelomoh.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “does not”; Notes: Negates the verb “know.”
- יָדָֽע׃ (yadaʿ) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “know”; Notes: Indicates that Dawid is unaware of Adoniyyahu’s actions.