וְהָיָ֗ה כִּרְאֹותֹ֛ו כִּי־אֵ֥ין הַנַּ֖עַר וָמֵ֑ת וְהֹורִ֨ידוּ עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֛ינוּ בְּיָגֹ֖ון שְׁאֹֽלָה׃
And it will happen, when he sees that the boy is not there, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant, our father, in sorrow to Sheol.
Morphology
- וְהָיָ֗ה (vehayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “and it will happen”; Notes: Indicates a future consequence or event.
- כִּרְאֹותֹ֛ו (kir’oto) – Root: ראה (ra’ah); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “when he sees”; Notes: Describes the condition upon seeing the absence of the boy.
- כִּי־אֵ֥ין (ki-ein) – Form: Conjunction with negative existential particle; Translation: “that [he] is not”; Notes: Introduces the absence of the boy.
- הַנַּ֖עַר (hana’ar) – Root: נַעַר (na’ar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the boy”; Notes: Refers to the young son.
- וָמֵ֑ת (vamet) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “he will die”; Notes: Foresees the father’s death upon learning of the boy’s absence.
- וְהֹורִ֨ידוּ (vehoridu) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “and they will bring down”; Notes: Refers to the servants causing the father’s descent in grief.
- עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ (avadeikha) – Root: עֶבֶד (eved); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your servants”; Notes: Indicates respect from the speaker’s servants.
- אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת (et-seivat) – Root: שֵׂיבָה (seivah); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “the gray hair of”; Notes: Refers to the age of the father.
- עַבְדְּךָ֥ (avdekha) – Root: עֶבֶד (eved); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Indicates the father’s humble position before the listener.
- אָבִ֛ינוּ (avinu) – Root: אָב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cp suffix; Translation: “our father”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s father.
- בְּיָגֹ֖ון (beyagon) – Root: יָגוֹן (yagon); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “in sorrow”; Notes: Describes the grief that accompanies the descent.
- שְׁאֹֽלָה (she’olah) – Root: שְׁאוֹל (she’ol); Form: Noun, feminine singular with directional “he”; Translation: “to Sheol”; Notes: Refers to the realm of the dead or underworld.