וְלָ֤מָּה תְכַבְּדוּ֙ אֶת־לְבַבְכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר כִּבְּד֛וּ מִצְרַ֥יִם וּפַרְעֹ֖ה אֶת־לִבָּ֑ם הֲלֹוא֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְעַלֵּ֣ל בָּהֶ֔ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּם וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃
And why do you harden your hearts as Mitsrayim and Parʿo hardened their hearts? Was it not when He dealt severely with them that they sent them away, and they departed?
Morphology
- וְלָ֤מָּה (ve-lamah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “And why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- תְכַבְּדוּ֙ (tekhabbedu) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “do you harden”; Notes: Intensive form of “to be heavy,” meaning “to harden” in this context.
- אֶת־לְבַבְכֶ֔ם (et-levavkhem) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your hearts”; Notes: Direct object of “harden.”
- כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison.
- כִּבְּד֛וּ (kibbedu) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they hardened”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim and Parʿo.
- מִצְרַ֥יִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצר (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Mitsrayim (Egypt)”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Egypt.
- וּפַרְעֹ֖ה (u-Parʿo) – Root: פרע (Parʿo); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and Parʿo (Pharaoh)”; Notes: Egyptian king.
- אֶת־לִבָּ֑ם (et-libam) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their hearts”; Notes: Object of “hardened.”
- הֲלֹוא֙ (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Was it not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when”; Notes: Introduces a temporal clause.
- הִתְעַלֵּ֣ל (hitʿallel) – Root: עלל (ʿalal); Form: Hitpael perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He dealt severely”; Notes: Reflexive form indicating divine action.
- בָּהֶ֔ם (bahem) – Root: ב (be) + הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “with them”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim and Parʿo.
- וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּם (va-yishallḥum) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “they sent them away”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim sending away Yisraʾel.
- וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ (va-yeleku) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they departed”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel leaving Mitsrayim.