וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹו֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הָעִ֜יר בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בְּטֶ֨רֶם֙ יָבֹ֣א הַחַ֔רְסָה מַה־מָּתֹ֣וק מִדְּבַ֔שׁ וּמֶ֥ה עַ֖ז מֵאֲרִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם לוּלֵא֙ חֲרַשְׁתֶּ֣ם בְּעֶגְלָתִ֔י לֹ֥א מְצָאתֶ֖ם חִידָתִֽי׃
And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ (vayomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the men of the city speaking.
- לֹו֩ (lo) – Root: ל (l) + הוא (hu); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Shimshon.
- אַנְשֵׁ֨י הָעִ֜יר (anshei haʿir) – Root: איש (ʾish) + עיר (ʿir); Form: Construct noun phrase, masculine plural; Translation: “the men of the city”; Notes: The collective subject.
- בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י (bayom hasheviʿi) – Root: יום (yom) + שבע (shevaʿ); Form: Noun phrase, masculine singular; Translation: “on the seventh day”; Notes: Refers to the final day of the feast.
- בְּטֶ֨רֶם֙ (beterem) – Root: טרם (terem); Form: Adverb; Translation: “before”; Notes: Introduces a time clause.
- יָבֹ֣א (yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “comes”; Notes: Describes an impending action.
- הַחַ֔רְסָה (hacharsah) – Root: חרס (ḥeres); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the sun”; Notes: Poetic term for the sun.
- מַה־מָּתֹ֣וק (mah-matok) – Root: מתק (matok); Form: Interrogative + adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “What is sweeter”; Notes: A rhetorical question.
- מִדְּבַ֔שׁ (middevash) – Root: דבש (devash); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “than honey”; Notes: Comparative use.
- וּמֶ֥ה עַ֖ז (umeh ʿaz) – Root: עזז (ʿaz); Form: Interrogative + adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “And what is stronger”; Notes: Parallel rhetorical question.
- מֵאֲרִ֑י (meʾari) – Root: ארי (ʾari); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “than a lion”; Notes: Comparative use.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Shimshon responding.
- לָהֶ֔ם (lahem) – Root: ל (l) + הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the men of the city.
- לוּלֵא֙ (lule) – Root: לו (lu); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “If not”; Notes: Introduces a contrary-to-fact condition.
- חֲרַשְׁתֶּ֣ם (ḥarashtem) – Root: חרש (ḥarash); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you had plowed”; Notes: Metaphorical usage.
- בְּעֶגְלָתִ֔י (beʿeglatī) – Root: עגל (ʿegel); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “with my heifer”; Notes: A metaphor for his wife.
- לֹ֥א מְצָאתֶ֖ם (lo metsatem) – Root: מצא (matsa); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you would not have found”; Notes: Expresses the result of their action.
- חִידָתִֽי (ḥidati) – Root: חוד (ḥud); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my riddle”; Notes: Refers to the challenge he posed.