---
title: 1 Kings 20:39 (JPS 1917) — And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said: 'Thy… · tree and pragmatics
description: And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said: 'Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said: Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent
---

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# 1 Kings 20:39 · JPS 1917

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And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said: 'Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said: Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

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**Who acts:** king, servant, man, life, thou · **What happens:** pass by, cry, say, go out, turn, bring · **To what, where:** midst, man, talent · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is 1 Kings 20:39 · JPS 1917 in the English of the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 translation, from Mova's open Bible corpus. The page gives the sentence's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, parsed by Mova and checked by a teacher model — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (king, servant, man, life), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it. The original of the verse links back to its own tree and to the Targum.

## The tree {#tree}

```conllu
# sent_id = jps:1KI:767
# text = And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said: 'Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said: Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
1	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
2	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	passed	pass	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	cried	cry	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	unto	unto	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
13	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	16	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
17	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	21	punct	_	_
18	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	21	punct	_	_
19	Thy	thy	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	20	nmod:poss	_	_
20	servant	servant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
21	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	ccomp	_	_
22	out	out	ADV	RB	_	21	advmod	_	_
23	into	into	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
24	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
25	midst	midst	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	_
26	of	of	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
27	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	28	det	_	_
28	battle	battle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	nmod	_	_
29	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	36	punct	_	_
30	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	36	cc	_	_
31	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	32	punct	_	_
32	behold	behold	INTJ	UH	_	36	discourse	_	_
33	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	32	punct	_	_
34	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	35	det	_	_
35	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	nsubj	_	_
36	turned	turn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
37	aside	aside	ADV	RB	_	36	advmod	_	_
38	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	40	punct	_	_
39	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	40	cc	_	_
40	brought	bring	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	36	conj	_	_
41	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	42	det	_	_
42	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	40	obj	_	_
43	unto	unto	ADP	IN	_	44	case	_	_
44	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	40	obl	_	_
45	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	47	punct	_	_
46	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	47	cc	_	_
47	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	36	conj	_	_
48	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	49	punct	_	_
49	Keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	47	ccomp	_	_
50	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	51	det	_	_
51	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	49	obj	_	_
52	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	68	punct	_	_
53	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	59	mark	_	_
54	by	by	ADP	IN	_	56	case	_	_
55	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	56	det	_	_
56	means	means	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	59	obl	_	_
57	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	59	nsubj	_	_
58	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	59	cop	_	_
59	missing	missing	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	68	advcl	_	_
60	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	59	punct	_	_
61	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	68	advmod	_	_
62	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	68	aux	_	_
63	thy	thy	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	64	nmod:poss	_	_
64	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	nsubj	_	_
65	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	68	cop	_	_
66	for	for	ADP	IN	_	68	case	_	_
67	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	68	nmod:poss	_	_
68	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	47	conj	_	_
69	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	74	punct	_	_
70	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	74	cc	_	_
71	else	else	ADV	RB	_	74	advmod	_	_
72	thou	thou	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	74	nsubj	_	_
73	shalt	shall	AUX	MD	Style=Arch|VerbForm=Fin	74	aux	_	_
74	pay	pay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	68	conj	_	_
75	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	76	det	_	_
76	talent	talent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	obj	_	_
77	of	of	ADP	IN	_	78	case	_	_
78	silver	silver	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	76	nmod	_	_
79	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- sa -->
- form: statement
- act: narrate
- voice: narrator
- polarity: none
- teacher: changed act=narrate, voice=narrator

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pass by** | past | the king |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **cry** *speech: express* | past | king |  |  |  |  | unto the king | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | king |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **go out** | past | Thy servant |  |  | the midst of the battle |  | out *property* | vn interact-36.6 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **turn** | past | a man |  |  |  |  | aside *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |
| 6 | **bring** | past | a man *not said here* |  | a man |  |  | unto me | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Instrument man=Destination |
| 7 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | a man *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 8 | **keep** | infinitive |  | this man |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent man=Theme |
| 9 | **is** *a condition, not said to happen* | infinitive | man |  |  |  |  | by any means; missing *property* | tree rules |
| 10 | **is** | shall | thy life |  |  |  | then | for man's life | tree rules |
| 11 | **pay** | shall | thou | a talent of silver |  |  |  | else *property* | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent talent=Asset |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The Hebrew of this verse {#hebrew}

<!-- .vhe dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
וַיְהִ֤י הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ עֹבֵ֔ר וְה֖וּא צָעַ֣ק אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֜אמֶר עַבְדְּךָ֣ ׀ יָצָ֣א בְקֶֽרֶב־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְהִנֵּֽה־אִ֨ישׁ סָ֜ר וַיָּבֵ֧א אֵלַ֣י אִ֗ישׁ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ שְׁמֹר֙ אֶת־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֔ה אִם־הִפָּקֵד֙ יִפָּקֵ֔ד וְהָיְתָ֤ה נַפְשְׁךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ א֥וֹ כִכַּר־כֶּ֖סֶף תִּשְׁקֽוֹל׃

[1 Kings 20:39: the Hebrew tree, its pragmatics and Targum Jonathan →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1KI.20.39/)

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**Source.** The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic Text, Jewish Publication Society, 1917, from eBible.org: public domain. Sentence `jps:1KI:767` of Mova's parse database.

**The tree and the speech act** come from Mova's cycle: the small model's draft, read by a large model as teacher, passed by Mova's gates (Elamur Cosmic License). **The frames** are read from the tree by Mova's frames reader (`prag`) when this page is built, the chapter read in order, so a pronoun may be resolved from an earlier sentence of the chapter.

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