King James Version

1 Samuel 9:21

And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

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Hebrew

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וַיַּ֨עַןvayaanand shoutעָנָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and shout”, the next action in the storyH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…שָׁא֜וּלshaulShaulשָׁאוּלnoun, proper name — “Shaul”H7586Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two IsraelitesSaul, Shaul.וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…הֲל֨וֹאhalono , -r,לֹאparticle, interrogative, particle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…בֶןvenof Benjaminבֶּן־יְמִינִיnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “of Benjamin”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1145a Benjaminite, or descendent of BenjaminBenjamite, of Benjamin.יְמִינִ֤יyeminiof Benjaminבֶּן־יְמִינִיnoun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “of Benjamin”, the ordinary formH1145a Benjaminite, or descendent of BenjaminBenjamite, of Benjamin.אָ֨נֹכִי֙anokhimeאָנֹכִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “me”H595II, me, [idiom] which.מִקַּטַנֵּי֙miqatanefrom leastקָטָןpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, construct — “from least”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6996abbreviated, i.e. diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance)least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing), young(-er, -est).שִׁבְטֵ֣יshivtedartשֵׁבֶטnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “dart”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וּמִשְׁפַּחְתִּי֙umishpachtiand familyמִשְׁפָּחָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4940a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or peoplefamily, kind(-red).הַצְּעִרָ֔הhatsirahthe littleצָעִירdefinite article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “the little”, the ordinary formH6810little; (in number) few; (in age) young, (in value) ignobleleast, little (one), small (one), [phrase] young(-er, -est).מִכָּֽלmikalfrom allכֹּלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “from all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹתmishpechotfamilyמִשְׁפָּחָהnoun, common, feminine, plural, construct — “family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4940a family, i.e. circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or peoplefamily, kind(-red).שִׁבְטֵ֣יshivtedartשֵׁבֶטnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “dart”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.בִנְיָמִ֑ןvinyaminBenjaminבִּנְיָמִיןnoun, proper name — “Benjamin”H1144Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territoryBenjamin.וְלָ֨מָּה֙velamahand to howמָהconjunction, preposition, particle, interrogative — “and to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.דִּבַּ֣רְתָּdibartaspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֵלַ֔יelayamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).כַּדָּבָ֖רkadavaras causeדָּבָרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “as cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…הַזֶּֽהhazehthe the one...the otherזֶהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, masculine, singular — “the the one...the other”H2088the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or thathe, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Saul answered and said: 'Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

Young’s Literal Translation

And Saul answereth and saith, 'Am not I a Benjamite — of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken unto me according to this word?'

World English Bible

Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?”

Darby Translation

And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why dost thou speak such words to me?

Douay-Rheims

And Saul answering, said: Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word to me?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Saul answered and said, Am not I the son of a Benjamite, the least tribe of the people of Israel? and of the least family of the whole tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken to me according to this word?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Σαοὺλ, καὶ εἶπεν, οὐχὶ ἀνδρὸς υἱὸς Ἰεμιναίου ἐγώ εἰμι τοῦ μικροῦ σκήπτρου φυλῆς Ἰσραήλ; καὶ τῆς φυλῆς τῆς ἐλαχίστης ἐξ ὅλου σκήπτρου Βενιαμίν; καὶ ἱνατί ἐλάλησας πρὸς ἐμὲ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο;