וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ הַזַּ֔יִת הֶחֳדַ֨לְתִּי֙ אֶת־דִּשְׁנִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־בִּ֛י יְכַבְּד֥וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י לָנ֖וּעַ עַל־הָעֵצִֽים׃
And the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I cease my fatness, by which God and men are honored, and go to sway over the trees?’
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- לָהֶם֙ (lahem) – Root: ל (l-); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the audience.
- הַזַּ֔יִת (ha-zayit) – Root: זית (zayit); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the olive tree”; Notes: Subject of the speech.
- הֶחֳדַ֨לְתִּי֙ (heḥodalti) – Root: חדל (ḥadal); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “Shall I cease”; Notes: Expresses a rhetorical question.
- אֶת־דִּשְׁנִ֔י (et-dishni) – Root: דשן (dashen); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with direct object marker; Translation: “my fatness”; Notes: Refers to the richness of the olive oil.
- אֲשֶׁר־בִּ֛י (ʾasher-bi) – Root: אשר (ʾasher), ב (b-); Form: Relative pronoun + preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “by which”; Notes: Introduces the purpose of the fatness.
- יְכַבְּד֥וּ (yekhabbedu) – Root: כבד (kabed); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they honor”; Notes: Emphasizes active glorification.
- אֱלֹהִ֖ים (Elohim) – Root: אלהים (ʾElohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Subject of honor.
- וַאֲנָשִׁ֑ים (vaʾanashim) – Root: אנש (ʾenosh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “and men”; Notes: Human recipients of the tree’s benefit.
- וְהָ֣לַכְתִּ֔י (vehalakhti) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and shall I go”; Notes: Indicates the proposed action.
- לָנ֖וּעַ (lanuʿa) – Root: נוע (nuʿa); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to sway”; Notes: Expresses movement among the trees.
- עַל־הָעֵצִֽים׃ (ʿal-haʿetsim) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun, masculine plural definite with preposition; Translation: “over the trees”; Notes: Indicates rulership.