מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לָהֶ֛ם לַנֹּותָרִ֖ים לְנָשִׁ֑ים וַאֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ בַֽיהוָ֔ה לְבִלְתִּ֛י תֵּת־לָהֶ֥ם מִבְּנֹותֵ֖ינוּ לְנָשִֽׁים׃
What shall we do for them, for the survivors, concerning wives? For we have sworn by YHWH not to give them our daughters as wives.”
Morphology
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- נַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה (naʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “shall we do”; Notes: Expresses an action in the future.
- לָהֶ֛ם (lahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for them”; Notes: Refers to the surviving men.
- לַנֹּותָרִ֖ים (la-notarim) – Root: נותר (notar); Form: Noun, masculine plural definite; Translation: “for the survivors”; Notes: Refers to those remaining from Binyamin.
- לְנָשִׁ֑ים (le-nashim) – Root: אשה (ʾishah); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “concerning wives”; Notes: Refers to the need for wives for the survivors.
- וַאֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ (va-anaḥnu) – Root: אנחנו (anaḥnu); Form: Pronoun, 1st person plural; Translation: “And we”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject.
- נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ (nishbaʿnu) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we have sworn”; Notes: Indicates a binding oath.
- בַֽיהוָ֔ה (ba-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “by YHWH”; Notes: The oath is sworn in the name of YHWH.
- לְבִלְתִּ֛י (le-vilti) – Root: בלתי (vilti); Form: Negative adverb; Translation: “not to”; Notes: Used to negate an infinitive.
- תֵּת־ (tet) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to give”; Notes: Infinitive expressing the action of giving.
- לָהֶ֥ם (lahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the survivors.
- מִבְּנֹותֵ֖ינוּ (mi-benotenu) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “from our daughters”; Notes: Indicates the daughters of Yisraʾel.
- לְנָשִֽׁים׃ (le-nashim) – Root: אשה (ʾishah); Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “as wives”; Notes: Specifies the purpose.