וַיֹּ֣אמֶר גַּ֣עַל בֶּן־עֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ וּמִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔נּוּ הֲלֹ֥א בֶן־יְרֻבַּ֖עַל וּזְבֻ֣ל פְּקִידֹ֑ו עִבְד֗וּ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י חֲמֹור֙ אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם וּמַדּ֖וּעַ נַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃
And Gaʿal son of ʿEved said, “Who is Abimelek, and who is Shekhem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Yerubbaʿal, and Zevul his officer? Serve the men of Ḥamor, the father of Shekhem! But why should we serve him?
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Gaal speaking.
- גַּ֣עַל (Gaʿal) – Root: געל (Gaʿal); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Gaal”; Notes: The speaker.
- בֶּן־עֶ֗בֶד (ben-ʿEved) – Root: בן (ben) + עבד (ʿEved); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Eved”; Notes: Gaal’s lineage.
- מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ (mi-ʾAvimelekh) – Root: מי (mi) + אבימלך (ʾAvimelekh); Form: Interrogative pronoun + proper noun; Translation: “Who is Abimelek?”; Notes: Expresses disdain.
- וּמִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ (u-mi-Shekhem) – Root: מי (mi) + שכם (Shekhem); Form: Interrogative pronoun + proper noun; Translation: “and who is Shekhem?”; Notes: Implies lack of legitimacy.
- כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔נּוּ (ki naʿavdennu) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “that we should serve him?”; Notes: Rhetorical question.
- הֲלֹ֥א (halo) – Root: לא (lo) + interrogative ה; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Is he not?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical statement.
- בֶן־יְרֻבַּ֖עַל (ben-Yerubbaʿal) – Root: בן (ben) + ירבעל (Yerubbaʿal); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the son of Yerubbaʿal”; Notes: Denotes Abimelek’s heritage.
- וּזְבֻ֣ל (u-Zəvul) – Root: זבול (Zəvul); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “and Zebul”; Notes: Another person mentioned.
- פְּקִידֹ֑ו (pəqidō) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his officer”; Notes: Denotes Zebul’s role.
- עִבְד֗וּ (ʿivdu) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Serve!”; Notes: Commands an alternative allegiance.
- אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י חֲמֹור֙ (et-ʾanshei Ḥamor) – Root: אנש (ʾanash) + חמור (Ḥamor); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + proper noun; Translation: “the men of Ḥamor”; Notes: Historical reference.
- אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם (ʾavi Shekhem) – Root: אב (ʾav) + שכם (Shekhem); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the father of Shekhem”; Notes: References Shekhem’s ancestry.
- וּמַדּ֖וּעַ (u-madduaʿ) – Root: מדוע (madduaʿ); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “But why?”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- נַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ (naʿavdennu) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “should we serve him?”; Notes: Expresses rejection.
- אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ (ʾanaḥnu) – Root: אנחנו (ʾanaḥnu); Form: Pronoun, 1st person plural; Translation: “we”; Notes: Emphasizes the rhetorical question.