וַיָּחָן֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֹתָ֤ם וַֽיְרַחֲמֵם֙ וַיִּ֣פֶן אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם לְמַ֣עַן בְּרִיתֹ֔ו אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם יִצְחָ֣ק וְיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ הַשְׁחִיתָ֔ם וְלֹֽא־הִשְׁלִיכָ֥ם מֵֽעַל־פָּנָ֖יו עַד־עָֽתָּה׃
And YHWH was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned toward them because of His covenant with Avraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yaʿaqov, and He was not willing to destroy them, and He did not cast them away from His presence until now.
Morphology
- וַיָּחָן (va-yakhan) – Root: חנן (ḥ-n-n); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And He was gracious”; Notes: Expresses divine favor and mercy.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, covenant name of God.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Form: Direct object marker with 3mp suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- וַיְרַחֲמֵם (va-yeraḥamem) – Root: רחם (r-ḥ-m); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3ms + 3mp suffix; Translation: “and He had compassion on them”; Notes: Piel intensifies emotional mercy.
- וַיִּפֶן (va-yifen) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and He turned”; Notes: Denotes attentive regard or relational turning.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “toward them”; Notes: Indicates divine attention.
- לְמַעַן (lemaʿan) – Form: Preposition; Translation: “because of” or “for the sake of”; Notes: Indicates causal or purposive reason.
- בְּרִיתֹו (berito) – Root: ברית (b-r-y-t); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His covenant”; Notes: Refers to God’s covenant with the patriarchs.
- אֶת־אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב (et-ʾAvraham, Yitsḥaq, ve-Yaʿaqov) – Form: Proper nouns; Translation: “Avraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yaʿaqov”; Notes: The three patriarchs of the covenant.
- וְלֹא אָבָה (ve-lo ʾavah) – Root: אבה (ʾ-b-h); Form: Negative + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “and He was not willing”; Notes: Shows divine refusal or restraint.
- הַשְׁחִיתָם (hashḥitam) – Root: שחת (sh-ḥ-t); Form: Hifil infinitive construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to destroy them”; Notes: Causative nuance: “cause to perish.”
- וְלֹא־הִשְׁלִיכָם (ve-lo hishlikham) – Root: שלך (sh-l-kh); Form: Hifil perfect 3ms + 3mp suffix; Translation: “and He did not cast them”; Notes: Expresses God’s continuing presence.
- מֵעַל־פָּנָיו (meʿal panav) – Form: Preposition + noun + 3ms suffix; Translation: “from before His face”; Notes: Poetic for divine presence.
- עַד־עָתָּה (ʿad-ʿattah) – Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “until now”; Notes: Indicates the duration of divine forbearance.