1 Samuel 21:16

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Do I lack madmen, that you have to bring this fellow here to act the madman in my presence? Must this man come into my house?'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

חֲסַ֤ר מְשֻׁגָּעִים֙ אָ֔נִי כִּי־הֲבֵאתֶ֣ם אֶת־זֶ֔ה לְהִשְׁתַּגֵּ֖עַ עָלָ֑י הֲזֶ֖ה יָב֥וֹא אֶל־בֵּיתִֽי׃

Transliteration

Am I lacking mešuggāʿîm ʾānî that-you hăḇēʾtem ʾet-this one lehištaggēaʿ upon me shall this one yāḇôʾ to-my bêtî

Grammar Details

• *ḥăsar*: adjective, masculine singular - lacking/short of
• *mešuggāʿîm*: pual participle, masculine plural - madmen/insane people
• *ʾānî*: personal pronoun, 1st person singular - I
• *hăḇēʾtem*: hiphil perfect, 2nd masculine plural - you brought
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *lehištaggēaʿ*: preposition + hithpael infinitive construct - to act insane
• *yāḇôʾ*: qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - he will come/enter
• *bêtî*: noun, masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix - my house

Word Meanings

• *ḥăsar mešuggāʿîm*: lacking madmen/in need of insane people/short of crazy people
• *hăḇēʾtem*: you brought/you have brought in
• *lehištaggēaʿ*: to act insane/to behave madly/to play the madman
• *yāḇôʾ*: enter/come into/be admitted to