ויהי השמש לבוא ותרדמה נפלה על אברם והנה אימה חשכה גדלה נפלת עליו׃
Gen 15:12 [Samaritan]
ויהי השמש לבוא ותרדמה נפלה על אברם והנה אימה חשכה גדלה נפלת עליו׃
Gen 15:12 [Masoretic]
וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבֹוא וְתַרְדֵּמָה נָפְלָה עַל־אַבְרָם וְהִנֵּה אֵימָה חֲשֵׁכָה גְדֹלָה נֹפֶלֶת עָלָֽיו׃
Gen 15:12 [Targum Onkelos]
וַהֲוָת שִׁימְשָׁא לְמֵיעַל וְשִׁינְּתָא נְפַלַת עַל אַבְרָם וְהָא אֵימָא קְבַל סַגִּי נְפַלַת עֲלוֹהִי׃
Gen 15:12 [Peshitta]
ܘܗܘܼܐ ܫܡܫܐ ܠܡܥܪܒ܂ ܘܫܠܝܐ ܢܦܠ ܥܠ ܐܒܪܡ܂ ܘܗܐ ܕܚܠܬܐ ܘܚܫܘܟܐ ܪܒܐ ܢܦܠ ܥܠܘܗܝ܂
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ לָבֹ֔וא וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃
And it happened, as the sun was going down, that a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and behold, terror and great darkness were falling upon him.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֤י (vayehi) – Root: היה (haya); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And it happened”; Notes: Introduces the narrative event.
- הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ (hashemesh) – Root: שׁמשׁ (shemesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the sun”; Notes: Refers to the setting sun.
- לָבֹ֔וא (lavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “to go down”; Notes: Describes the action of the sun setting.
- וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה (v’tardema) – Root: תרדם (tardema); Form: Noun, feminine singular with conjunction; Translation: “a deep sleep”; Notes: Indicates a profound state of unconsciousness.
- נָפְלָ֣ה (naflah) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3fs; Translation: “fell”; Notes: Refers to the deep sleep falling upon Avram.
- עַל־ (al-) – Root: על (al); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates location.
- אַבְרָ֑ם (Avram) – Root: אברם (Avram); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Avram”; Notes: The subject upon whom the sleep fell.
- וְהִנֵּ֥ה (v’hineh) – Root: הנה (hineh); Form: Particle; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Draws attention to what follows.
- אֵימָ֛ה (eimah) – Root: אֵימָה (eimah); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “terror”; Notes: Indicates an overwhelming fear.
- חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה (chashekhah) – Root: חשׁך (chashakh); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “darkness”; Notes: Describes a state of profound obscurity.
- גְדֹלָ֖ה (gedolah) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective, feminine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Modifies the terror and darkness.
- נֹפֶ֥לֶת (nofelet) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular; Translation: “falling”; Notes: Describes the ongoing action of falling.
- עָלָֽיו (alav) – Root: על (al); Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “upon him”; Notes: Refers to Avram as the recipient of the terror and darkness.