26
And she said,וַתֹּאמֶר“Pardon me,בִּיmy lord!אֲדֹנִיAs your soul lives,חֵי נַפְשְׁךָmy lord,אֲדֹנִיIאֲנִיamthe womanהָאִשָּׁהwho stoodהַנִּצֶּבֶתhereבָּזֶהwith youעִמְּכָהto prayלְהִתְפַּלֵּלtoאֶלYHWH.יְהוָה
1 Samuel 1:26
Study it in the app“And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here with you to pray to YHWH.”
With the Hebrew beneath
1 Samuel 1:26, word by word
- And she saidתֹּאמֶרtomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “tomer” appears- “Pardon meבִּיbi
please, my lord
Please, pardon me: a formula for addressing a superior respectfully.
Where else “bi” appears- my lordאֲדֹנִadoni
lord
The one with authority over another; or a respectful title.
Where else “adoni” appears- As your soul livesחֵיche
as lives
The oath formula: "as YHWH lives", calling him to witness.
Where else “che” appears- As your soul livesנַפְשְׁnafsh
life
Life, when it is at stake.
Where else “nafsh” appears- the womanאִשָּׁהisha
woman
An adult female person: single, married or widowed.
Where else “isha” appears- who stoodנִּצֶּבֶתnitsevet
stand
To remain upright in a place without moving.
Where else “nitsevet” appears- to prayהִתְפַּלֵּלhitpalel
pray
To talk with God, often asking for others.
Where else “hitpalel” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears
Translation note
“As your soul lives” is a way of swearing: “as surely as you live.”
The context
25And they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.
26 · This verse (above)
27For this boy I prayed, and YHWH has given me my petition that I asked of him.