כִּי֩ אֳנִ֨י תַרְשִׁ֤ישׁ לַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ בַּיָּ֔ם עִ֖ם אֳנִ֣י חִירָ֑ם אַחַת֩ לְשָׁלֹ֨שׁ שָׁנִ֜ים תָּבֹ֣וא אֳנִ֣י תַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ נֹֽשְׂאֵת֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף שֶׁנְהַבִּ֥ים וְקֹפִ֖ים וְתֻכִּיִּֽים׃
For the Tarshish fleet of the king was at sea with the fleet of Ḥiram; once every three years the Tarshish fleet would come, bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Morphology
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: כי (k.y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces explanation or reason.
- אֳנִ֨י (ʾoni) – Root: אניה (ʾ.n.y.h); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “fleet” or “ship”; Notes: Often used collectively of merchant fleets.
- תַרְשִׁ֤ישׁ (Tarshish) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Geographic name; Translation: “Tarshish”; Notes: Possibly Tartessos in Spain or a distant port in the west.
- לַמֶּ֨לֶךְ (la-melekh) – Root: מלך (m.l.k); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “for the king”; Notes: Refers to King Shelomoh.
- בַּיָּ֔ם (ba-yam) – Root: ים (y.m); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “on the sea”; Notes: Indicates location of the fleet.
- עִם (ʿim) – Root: עם (ʿ.m); Form: Preposition; Translation: “with”; Notes: Shows accompaniment or partnership.
- אֳנִ֣י (ʾoni) – Root: אניה (ʾ.n.y.h); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “fleet” or “ship”; Notes: Refers to second fleet.
- חִירָ֑ם (Ḥiram) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Name of person; Translation: “Ḥiram”; Notes: King of Tsor (Tyre), ally of Shelomoh.
- אַחַת֩ (aḥat) – Root: אחד (ʾ.ḥ.d); Form: Numeral, feminine singular; Translation: “once”; Notes: Frequency indicator with next phrase.
- לְשָׁלֹ֨שׁ (le-shalosh) – Root: שלש (sh.l.sh); Form: Preposition + numeral, feminine singular; Translation: “every three”; Notes: Construct with “years.”
- שָׁנִ֜ים (shanim) – Root: שנה (sh.n.h); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “years”; Notes: Duration phrase for voyage cycle.
- תָּבֹ֣וא (tavo) – Root: בוא (b.w.ʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “would come”; Notes: Refers to habitual coming of the fleet.
- אֳנִ֣י תַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ (ʾoni Tarshish) – Root: אניה (ʾ.n.y.h) + Tarshish; Form: Noun in construct + proper noun; Translation: “the Tarshish fleet”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- נֹשְׂאֵת֙ (noseʾet) – Root: נשא (n.s.ʾ); Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “carrying”; Notes: Describes contents of the returning ships.
- זָהָ֣ב (zahav) – Root: זהב (z.h.v); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “gold”; Notes: First item listed.
- וָכֶ֔סֶף (va-kesef) – Root: כסף (k.s.f); Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and silver”; Notes: Precious metals.
- שֶׁנְהַבִּ֥ים (shenhabim) – Root: Possibly Egyptian origin or related to ivory; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “ivory”; Notes: Plural form refers to tusks or carved items.
- וְקֹפִ֖ים (ve-qofim) – Root: קוף (q.w.p); Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine plural; Translation: “and apes”; Notes: Exotic animals, likely from Africa or India.
- וְתֻכִּיִּֽים (ve-tukkiyyim) – Root: תכי (t.k.y); Form: Conjunction + noun, masculine plural; Translation: “and peacocks” or “parrots”; Notes: Likely exotic birds, exact species debated.