וַיַּ֨עַל אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ הַר־צַלְמֹ֗ון הוּא֮ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתֹּו֒ וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ אֶת־הַקַּרְדֻּמֹּ֜ות בְּיָדֹ֗ו וַיִּכְרֹת֙ שֹׂוכַ֣ת עֵצִ֔ים וַיִּ֨שָּׂאֶ֔הָ וַיָּ֖שֶׂם עַל־שִׁכְמֹ֑ו וַיֹּ֜אמֶר אֶל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמֹּ֗ו מָ֤ה רְאִיתֶם֙ עָשִׂ֔יתִי מַהֲר֖וּ עֲשׂ֥וּ כָמֹֽונִי׃
And Avimelekh went up to Mount Tsalmon, he and all the people who were with him, and Avimelekh took the axes in his hand and cut down a bundle of trees, and he lifted it and placed it on his shoulder, and he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise.”
Morphology
- וַיַּ֨עַל (vayyaʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he went up”; Notes: Indicates movement to a higher location.
- אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ (ʾAvimelekh) – Root: אבימלך (ʾAvimelekh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Abimelek”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- הַר־צַלְמֹ֗ון (har-Tsalmon) – Root: הר / צלמון (har / Tsalmon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mount Tsalmon”; Notes: A location of the event.
- הוּא֮ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם (hu ve-kol ha-ʿam) – Root: הוא / כל / עם (hu / kol / ʿam); Form: Pronoun + construct phrase; Translation: “he and all the people”; Notes: Refers to Abimelek and his followers.
- אֲשֶׁר־אִתֹּו֒ (ʾasher-ʾitto) – Root: אשר / את (ʾasher / ʾet); Form: Relative clause; Translation: “who were with him”; Notes: Describes the accompanying people.
- וַיִּקַּח֩ (vayyiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqaḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he took”; Notes: Action of picking up the axes.
- אֶת־הַקַּרְדֻּמֹּ֜ות (ʾet-haqardummot) – Root: קרדום (qardom); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the axes”; Notes: The tool used for cutting.
- בְּיָדֹ֗ו (beyado) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun, singular with pronominal suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “in his hand”; Notes: Instrumental phrase.
- וַיִּכְרֹת֙ (vayikrot) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he cut down”; Notes: Action of felling trees.
- שֹׂוכַ֣ת עֵצִ֔ים (sokhat ʿetsim) – Root: שוך / עץ (sokh / ʿets); Form: Noun phrase; Translation: “a bundle of trees”; Notes: Material gathered.
- וַיִּ֨שָּׂאֶ֔הָ (vayyissaʾeha) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and he lifted it”; Notes: Refers to the bundle of trees.
- וַיָּ֖שֶׂם עַל־שִׁכְמֹ֑ו (vayyasem ʿal-shikhmo) – Root: שם / שכם (sam / shekhem); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + noun; Translation: “and he placed it on his shoulder”; Notes: Action of carrying the wood.
- וַיֹּ֜אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Direct speech follows.
- אֶל־הָעָ֣ם (ʾel-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, singular with definite article; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Direct speech audience.
- אֲשֶׁר־עִמֹּ֗ו (ʾasher-ʿimmo) – Root: אשר / עם (ʾasher / ʿim); Form: Relative clause; Translation: “who were with him”; Notes: Describes the people addressed.
- מָ֤ה רְאִיתֶם֙ (mah reʾitem) – Root: מה / ראה (mah / raʾah); Form: Interrogative pronoun + verb; Translation: “What you have seen”; Notes: Refers to their observation.
- עָשִׂ֔יתִי (ʿasiti) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I did”; Notes: Statement about his actions.
- מַהֲר֖וּ (maharu) – Root: מהר (mahar); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Hurry”; Notes: Command urging immediate action.
- עֲשׂ֥וּ (ʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Do”; Notes: Command to imitate the action.
- כָמֹֽונִי (kamoni) – Root: כמו / אני (kemo / ani); Form: Comparative phrase with pronoun; Translation: “like me”; Notes: Expresses similarity in action.