וַנֹּ֕אמֶר וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֵלֵ֛ינוּ וְאֶל־דֹּרֹתֵ֖ינוּ מָחָ֑ר וְאָמַ֡רְנוּ רְא֣וּ אֶת־תַּבְנִית֩ מִזְבַּ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבֹותֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א לְעֹולָה֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזֶ֔בַח כִּי־עֵ֣ד ה֔וּא בֵּינֵ֖ינוּ וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
And we said, ‘It shall be, when they say to us and to our generations tomorrow, then we shall say: “Behold the pattern of the altar of YHWH, which our fathers made—not for burnt offering and not for sacrifice, but as a witness between us and you.”’
Morphology
- וַנֹּ֕אמֶר (va-nomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 1st person plural; Translation: “And we said”; Notes: Introduces reported speech.
- וְהָיָ֗ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a future event.
- כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ (ki-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “when they say”; Notes: Conditional clause.
- אֵלֵ֛ינוּ (eleinu) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Specifies the recipients.
- וְאֶל־דֹּרֹתֵ֖ינוּ (ve-el-doroteinu) – Root: דור (dor); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and to our generations”; Notes: Indicates the transmission to future descendants.
- מָחָ֑ר (maḥar) – Root: מחר (maḥar); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “tomorrow”; Notes: Refers to the future.
- וְאָמַ֡רְנוּ (ve-amarnu) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “then we shall say”; Notes: Expresses a future response.
- רְא֣וּ (reʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Command to observe.
- אֶת־תַּבְנִית֩ (et-tavnit) – Root: תבנית (tavnit); Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute with direct object marker; Translation: “the pattern of”; Notes: Describes a model or representation.
- מִזְבַּ֨ח יְהוָ֜ה (mizbeaḥ YHWH) – Root: מזבח (mizbeaḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “the altar of YHWH”; Notes: Object being referenced.
- אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ (ʾasher-ʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “which they made”; Notes: Describes past action.
- אֲבֹותֵ֗ינוּ (avoteinu) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our fathers”; Notes: Refers to ancestors.
- לֹ֤א לְעֹולָה֙ (lo le-ʿolah) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute with negative particle; Translation: “not for burnt offering”; Notes: Denial of purpose.
- וְלֹ֣א לְזֶ֔בַח (ve-lo le-zevaḥ) – Root: זבח (zavaḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with negative particle; Translation: “and not for sacrifice”; Notes: Further clarification.
- כִּי־עֵ֣ד (ki-ʿed) – Root: עד (ʿed); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “but as a witness”; Notes: Indicates testimony or proof.
- ה֔וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Refers to the altar as witness.
- בֵּינֵ֖ינוּ (beineinu) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “between us”; Notes: Indicates relationship.
- וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם (uveineikhem) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and between you”; Notes: Defines relational connection.