וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַ֤תְּ יָדַ֨עַתְּ֙ כִּי־לִי֙ הָיְתָ֣ה הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה וְעָלַ֞י שָׂ֧מוּ כָֽל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם לִמְלֹ֑ךְ וַתִּסֹּ֤ב הַמְּלוּכָה֙ וַתְּהִ֣י לְאָחִ֔י כִּ֥י מֵיְהוָ֖ה הָ֥יְתָה לֹּֽו׃
And he said, “You know that the kingship was mine, and all Yisraʾel set their faces toward me to reign; but the kingship turned and became for my brother, for it was from YHWH for him.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Common narrative introduction to speech.
- אַתְּ (at) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Feminine subject, addressing a woman (Bat-Shevaʿ).
- יָדַ֨עַתְּ (yadaʿt) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you knew”; Notes: Statement of prior knowledge.
- כִּי־לִי (ki-li) – Root: כי, לי; Form: Conjunction + preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “that to me”; Notes: Introduces causal clause and possession.
- הָיְתָה (hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Refers to feminine subject “the kingship.”
- הַמְּלוּכָה (ha-melukhah) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite article + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the kingship”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- וְעָלַ֞י (ve-ʿalay) – Root: על; Form: Conjunction + preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and upon me”; Notes: Expresses direction of focus or authority.
- שָׂמוּ (samu) – Root: שׂים; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they set”; Notes: Refers to collective action of Yisraʾel.
- כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל (kol-Yisraʾel) – Root: כל, ישראל; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “all Yisraʾel”; Notes: Subject of the verb “they set.”
- פְּנֵיהֶם (peneihem) – Root: פנים; Form: Masculine plural construct noun + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their faces”; Notes: Figuratively denotes intention or favor.
- לִמְלֹךְ (limlokh) – Root: מלך; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to reign”; Notes: Purpose clause.
- וַתִּסֹּב (vattisov) – Root: סבב; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “but it turned”; Notes: Refers to “the kingship,” feminine subject.
- הַמְּלוּכָה (ha-melukhah) – Root: מלך; Form: Definite article + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the kingship”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the shift.
- וַתְּהִי (vattehi) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and it became”; Notes: Continuation of transformation in rule.
- לְאָחִי (le-aḥi) – Root: אח; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to my brother”; Notes: Refers to Shelomoh.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- מֵיְהוָה (me-YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Preposition + divine name; Translation: “from YHWH”; Notes: Indicates divine origin.
- הָיְתָה (hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it was”; Notes: Refers again to “the kingship.”
- לֹּו (lo) – Root: לו; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Final affirmation of divine appointment.