וְעַתָּ֗ה כְּבֹאִי֙ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֣ אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ וְנַפְשֹׁ֖ו קְשׁוּרָ֥ה בְנַפְשֹֽׁו׃
And now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us, and his soul is bound up with his soul.
Morphology
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (ve’atah) – Root: עַתָּה (atah); Form: Conjunction with adverb; Translation: “and now”; Notes: Indicates a shift to the present situation.
- כְּבֹאִי֙ (kevo’i) – Root: בּוֹא (bo); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct with 1cs suffix; Translation: “when I come”; Notes: Refers to the anticipated arrival of the speaker.
- אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֣ (el-avdekha) – Root: עֶבֶד (eved); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular with 2ms suffix; Translation: “to your servant”; Notes: Shows respect to the listener’s father.
- אָבִ֔י (avi) – Root: אָב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s father.
- וְהַנַּ֖עַר (vehana’ar) – Root: נַעַר (na’ar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “and the boy”; Notes: Refers to the young son in question.
- אֵינֶ֣נּוּ (einenu) – Root: אַיִן (ayin); Form: Negative existential particle with 3ms suffix; Translation: “is not”; Notes: Indicates the absence of the boy.
- אִתָּ֑נוּ (ittanu) – Root: אֵת (et); Form: Preposition with 1cp suffix; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Emphasizes the boy’s absence with the group.
- וְנַפְשֹׁ֖ו (venafsho) – Root: נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and his soul”; Notes: Refers to the boy’s emotional or personal essence.
- קְשׁוּרָ֥ה (kesurah) – Root: קשר (kashar); Form: Verb, Qal, Passive Participle, feminine singular; Translation: “is bound up”; Notes: Indicates the close bond between father and son.
- בְנַפְשֹֽׁו (benafsho) – Root: נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “with his soul”; Notes: Emphasizes the connection between their souls.