וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אֵ֚יךְ תֹּאמַ֣ר אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ וְלִבְּךָ֖ אֵ֣ין אִתִּ֑י זֶ֣ה שָׁלֹ֤שׁ פְּעָמִים֙ הֵתַ֣לְתָּ בִּ֔י וְלֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י בַּמֶּ֖ה כֹּחֲךָ֥ גָדֹֽול׃
And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? These three times you have mocked me and have not told me by what means your strength is great.”
Morphology
- וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (vattomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (consecutive imperfect) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Refers to Delilah speaking.
- אֵלָ֗יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Directs speech to Shimshon.
- אֵ֚יךְ (ʾeikh) – Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “How”; Notes: Expresses disbelief or accusation.
- תֹּאמַ֣ר (toʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “can you say”; Notes: Directly questions Shimshon’s words.
- אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ (ʾahavtik) – Root: אהב (ʾahav); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “‘I love you'”; Notes: Quote of Shimshon’s claimed love.
- וְלִבְּךָ֖ (velibbekha) – Root: לב (lev); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and your heart”; Notes: Refers to sincerity of emotions.
- אֵ֣ין (ʾein) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “is not”; Notes: Negates the presence of his heart with her.
- אִתִּ֑י (ʾitti) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Indicates absence of emotional commitment.
- זֶ֣ה (zeh) – Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Refers to the event being discussed.
- שָׁלֹ֤שׁ (shalosh) – Root: שלש (shalosh); Form: Numeral, feminine singular; Translation: “three”; Notes: Counts previous occurrences.
- פְּעָמִים֙ (peʿamim) – Root: פעם (paʿam); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “times”; Notes: Refers to multiple instances.
- הֵתַ֣לְתָּ (hetalta) – Root: תלל (talal); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have mocked”; Notes: Accusation against Shimshon.
- בִּ֔י (bi) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “me”; Notes: Direct object of the action.
- וְלֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ (velo-higgadta) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you have not told”; Notes: Complains of secrecy.
- לִּ֔י (li) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Delilah as the recipient of information.
- בַּמֶּ֖ה (ba-meh) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Preposition + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “by what means”; Notes: Seeks method of revealing strength.
- כֹּחֲךָ֥ (koḥakha) – Root: כח (koḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your strength”; Notes: Refers to Shimshon’s physical power.
- גָדֹֽול׃ (gadol) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “is great”; Notes: Describes the magnitude of his strength.