כִּ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ עָרַ֣ב אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר מֵעִ֥ם אָבִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־לֹ֤א אֲבִיאֶ֨נּוּ֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְחָטָ֥אתִי לְאָבִ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
For your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father, saying, “If I do not bring him to you, then I will have sinned against my father all my days.”
Morphology
- כִּ֤י (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or explanation.
- עַבְדְּךָ֙ (avdekha) – Root: עֶבֶד (eved); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your servant”; Notes: Indicates humility and respect towards the listener.
- עָרַ֣ב (arav) – Root: ערב (arav); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “became a guarantee”; Notes: Indicates taking responsibility or vouching for someone.
- אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר (et-hana’ar) – Root: נַעַר (na’ar); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “for the boy”; Notes: Refers to the young son.
- מֵעִ֥ם (me’im) – Root: עִם (im); Form: Preposition; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin or separation.
- אָבִ֖י (avi) – Root: אָב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s father.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (le’mor) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Infinitive Construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech or a quote.
- אִם־לֹ֤א (im-lo) – Form: Conditional particle with negative particle; Translation: “if not”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- אֲבִיאֶ֨נּוּ֙ (avi’enu) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Imperfect, 1cs with 3ms suffix; Translation: “I bring him”; Notes: Expresses the condition of fulfilling the responsibility.
- אֵלֶ֔יךָ (eleikha) – Root: אֵל (el); Form: Preposition with 2ms suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to bringing the boy to the listener.
- וְחָטָ֥אתִי (vechatati) – Root: חטא (chata); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “then I will have sinned”; Notes: Indicates a personal fault or transgression if the condition is not met.
- לְאָבִ֖י (le’avi) – Root: אָב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cs suffix; Translation: “against my father”; Notes: Refers to failing the speaker’s father.
- כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים (kol-hayamim) – Root: יָם (yom); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “all my days”; Notes: Indicates the lifelong consequence of the speaker’s failure.