חַ֣י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אִם־יֶשׁ־גֹּ֤וי וּמַמְלָכָה֙ אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹֽא־שָׁלַ֨ח אֲדֹנִ֥י שָׁם֙ לְבַקֶּשְׁךָ֔ וְאָמְר֖וּ אָ֑יִן וְהִשְׁבִּ֤יעַ אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ וְאֶת־הַגֹּ֔וי כִּ֖י לֹ֥א יִמְצָאֶֽכָּה׃
As YHWH your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you, and they said, ‘He is not here,’ and he caused the kingdom and the nation to swear that they had not found you.
Morphology
- חַ֣י (ḥai) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “as lives”; Notes: Oath formula invoking the life of God.
- יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Divine name invoked in the oath.
- אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ (ʾElohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Addressed to Eliyahu.
- אִם־יֶשׁ־גֹּ֤וי (im-yesh-goy) – Root: אם (im), יש (yesh), גוי (goy); Form: Conditional particle + existential particle + noun; Translation: “if there is [any] nation”; Notes: Beginning of the conditional oath clause.
- וּמַמְלָכָה֙ (u-mamlekhah) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Conjunction + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “and kingdom”; Notes: Extends the scope of the search.
- אֲ֠שֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “where”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause describing the places searched.
- לֹֽא־שָׁלַ֨ח (lo-shalakh) – Root: שלח (shalakh); Form: Negative + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “he has not sent”; Notes: Negative assertion of universal search.
- אֲדֹנִ֥י (ʾadoni) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Refers to Aḥʾav.
- שָׁם֙ (sham) – Root: שׁם (sham); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to each nation or kingdom.
- לְבַקֶּשְׁךָ֔ (le-vaqqeshkha) – Root: בקש (baqqesh); Form: Piel infinitive construct + 2ms suffix; Translation: “to seek you”; Notes: Purpose of Aḥʾav’s inquiry.
- וְאָמְר֖וּ (ve-ʾamru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “and they said”; Notes: Nations’ response to Aḥʾav’s search.
- אָ֑יִן (ayin) – Root: אין (ʾayin); Form: Negative existential particle; Translation: “He is not [here]”; Notes: Response of absence.
- וְהִשְׁבִּ֤יעַ (ve-hishbiʿa) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Hifil perfect 3ms; Translation: “and he caused to swear”; Notes: Aḥʾav forces an oath from the nation or kingdom.
- אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ (et-ha-mamlekhah) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun; Translation: “the kingdom”; Notes: Object of the oath.
- וְאֶת־הַגֹּ֔וי (ve-et-ha-goy) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + definite noun; Translation: “and the nation”; Notes: Further object of the compelled oath.
- כִּ֖י לֹ֥א יִמְצָאֶֽכָּה (ki lo yimtsaʾekha) – Root: מצא (matsa); Form: Conjunction + negative + Qal imperfect 3ms + 2ms suffix; Translation: “that he had not found you”; Notes: Content of the sworn testimony.