וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ לֹֽא־חָטָ֣אתִי לָ֔ךְ וְאַתָּ֞ה עֹשֶׂ֥ה אִתִּ֛י רָעָ֖ה לְהִלָּ֣חֶם בִּ֑י יִשְׁפֹּ֨ט יְהוָ֤ה הַשֹּׁפֵט֙ הַיֹּ֔ום בֵּ֚ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּבֵ֖ין בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃
But as for me, I have not sinned against you, yet you are doing me evil by waging war against me. May YHWH, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Yisraʾel and the sons of ʿAmmon.
Morphology
- וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ (ve-anoḵi) – Root: אנכי (anoḵi); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “But as for me”; Notes: Emphasizing personal innocence.
- לֹֽא־חָטָ֣אתִי (lo-ḥataʾti) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have not sinned”; Notes: Expresses a claim of innocence.
- לָ֔ךְ (lakh) – Root: לך (lakh); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular pronoun; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the action.
- וְאַתָּ֞ה (ve-attah) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “yet you”; Notes: Contrasts the previous statement.
- עֹשֶׂ֥ה (oseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “are doing”; Notes: Describes an ongoing action.
- אִתִּ֛י (itti) – Root: את (et); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Specifies the recipient of the action.
- רָעָ֖ה (raʿah) – Root: רע (raʿ); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Describes the nature of the action.
- לְהִלָּ֣חֶם (le-hillaḥem) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “by waging war”; Notes: Expresses purpose.
- בִּ֑י (bi) – Root: ב (b) + אני (ani); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “against me”; Notes: Specifies the object of hostility.
- יִשְׁפֹּ֨ט (yishpoṭ) – Root: שפט (shaphat); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “May judge”; Notes: Expresses a plea for divine arbitration.
- יְהוָ֤ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine subject.
- הַשֹּׁפֵט֙ (ha-shofet) – Root: שפט (shaphat); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the Judge”; Notes: A title for YHWH.
- הַיֹּ֔ום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “today”; Notes: Specifies the timing of judgment.
- בֵּ֚ין (bein) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition; Translation: “between”; Notes: Introduces the two opposing groups.
- בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (bene Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (ben) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct noun phrase; Translation: “the sons of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- וּבֵ֖ין (u-vein) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition; Translation: “and between”; Notes: Continues the contrast.
- בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃ (bene ʿAmmon) – Root: בן (ben) + עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Construct noun phrase; Translation: “the sons of ʿAmmon”; Notes: Refers to the Ammonites.