וַתֹּ֨אמֶר הָאָתֹ֜ון אֶל־בִּלְעָ֗ם הֲלֹוא֩ אָנֹכִ֨י אֲתֹֽנְךָ֜ אֲשֶׁר־רָכַ֣בְתָּ עָלַ֗י מֵעֹֽודְךָ֙ עַד־הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה הַֽהַסְכֵּ֣ן הִסְכַּ֔נְתִּי לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות לְךָ֖ כֹּ֑ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹֽא׃
And the donkey said to Bilʿam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden from your youth to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” And he said, “No.”
Morphology
- וַתֹּ֨אמֶר (vatomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And she said”; Notes: Refers to the donkey speaking.
- הָאָתֹ֜ון (haʾaton) – Root: אתן (aton); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the donkey”; Notes: Subject of the speech.
- אֶל־בִּלְעָ֗ם (el-Bilʿam) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Bilʿam”; Notes: The recipient of the speech.
- הֲלֹוא֩ (halo) – Root: הלא (halo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Am I not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- אָנֹכִ֨י (anokhi) – Root: אנכ (anokh); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes the speaker.
- אֲתֹֽנְךָ֜ (atonkha) – Root: אתן (aton); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your donkey”; Notes: Possessive.
- אֲשֶׁר־רָכַ֣בְתָּ (asher-rakavta) – Root: רכב (rakhav); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “on which you have ridden”; Notes: Refers to Bilʿam’s action.
- עָלַ֗י (ʿalay) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “on me”; Notes: Indicates the donkey as the object.
- מֵעֹֽודְךָ֙ (meʿodekha) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from your youth”; Notes: Indicates time frame.
- עַד־הַיֹּ֣ום (ʿad-hayyom) – Root: עד (ʿad) + יום (yom); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “to this day”; Notes: Defines the duration.
- הַזֶּ֔ה (hazzeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Emphasizes the specific day.
- הַֽהַסְכֵּ֣ן (hahasken) – Root: סכן (sakan); Form: Hifil infinitive absolute with interrogative; Translation: “Have I been in the habit”; Notes: Emphasizes habitual action.
- הִסְכַּ֔נְתִּי (hiskanti) – Root: סכן (sakan); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I been in the habit”; Notes: Continuation of rhetorical question.
- לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות (laʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Refers to the donkey’s actions.
- לְךָ֖ (lekha) – Root: לך (lekha); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Directs the rhetorical question to Bilʿam.
- כֹּ֑ה (ko) – Root: כה (ko); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Refers to the specific actions.
- וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Bilʿam’s response.
- לֹֽא׃ (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Particle of negation; Translation: “No”; Notes: Bilʿam’s response to the donkey’s question.