וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃
And YHWH said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for to all whom I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Typical introduction to direct speech in narrative.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The speaker, the covenant God of Yisraʾel.
- אֵלַ֔י (ʾelai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of YHWH’s speech.
- אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר (ʾal-toʾmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect jussive 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Do not say”; Notes: Jussive used for prohibitions.
- נַ֣עַר (naʿar) – Root: נער; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a youth”; Notes: Term denoting inexperience or immaturity.
- אָנֹ֑כִי (anokhi) – Root: Personal pronoun; Form: 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic self-reference in direct speech.
- כִּ֠י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason or justification for the command.
- עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר (ʿal-kol-ʾasher) – Root: על, כל, אשר; Form: Preposition + construct noun + relative pronoun; Translation: “to all that”; Notes: Introduces the object of the verb “I send.”
- אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ (ʾeshlaḥakha) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I send you”; Notes: Expresses divine commissioning.
- תֵּלֵ֔ךְ (telekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall go”; Notes: Future instruction, indicating obedience to divine mission.
- וְאֵ֛ת (ve-et) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker + conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks the direct object of the following verb.
- כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר (kol-ʾasher) – Root: כל, אשר; Form: Construct noun + relative pronoun; Translation: “all that”; Notes: Refers to the entirety of the commanded message.
- אֲצַוְּךָ֖ (ʾatsavvəkha) – Root: צוה; Form: Piel imperfect 1st person common singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I command you”; Notes: Piel intensifies, indicating official authoritative instruction.
- תְּדַבֵּֽר (tedabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall speak”; Notes: Expresses prophetic obligation to speak all that is commanded.