דַּבֵּ֨ר וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנְנִ֤י עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם הַתַּנִּים֙ הַגָּדֹ֔ול הָרֹבֵ֖ץ בְּתֹ֣וךְ יְאֹרָ֑יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמַ֛ר לִ֥י יְאֹרִ֖י וַאֲנִ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽנִי׃
Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “Behold, I am against you, Parʿo king of Mitsrayim, the great tannin that lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘My river is mine, and I have made myself.’
Morphology
- דַּבֵּר (dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: The intensified stem (Piel) indicates an emphatic command to proclaim a divine message.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: A directive formula introducing divine speech through the prophet.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Standard prophetic introduction signaling the words of YHWH.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun plural of majesty; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Refers to divine sovereignty; appears here as part of the compound title “Lord YHWH.”
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hvh); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal covenant name of Israel’s God.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Interjection + 1st person common singular pronominal suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Marks divine self-introduction, emphasizing immediacy and resolve.
- עָלֶיךָ (ʿalekha) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s opposition directed toward Parʿo.
- פַּרְעֹה (Parʿo) – Root: פרע (Parʿo); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Parʿo”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh, the king of Mitsrayim (Egypt).
- מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם (melekh-Mitsrayim) – Root: מלך (melekh), מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Construct noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “king of Mitsrayim”; Notes: Denotes Pharaoh’s royal title and domain.
- הַתַּנִּים (ha-tannim) – Root: תנין (tannin); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the tannin”; Notes: Refers to a great aquatic creature, possibly crocodile or serpent; symbol of Egypt’s power.
- הַגָּדֹול (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Definite adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the great”; Notes: Qualifies Parʿo as a mighty yet arrogant ruler likened to a large beast.
- הָרֹבֵץ (ha-roveṣ) – Root: רבץ (ravats); Form: Definite participle Qal masculine singular; Translation: “who lies”; Notes: Describes the posture of the tannin resting securely in its domain, implying false security.
- בְּתֹוךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the midst of”; Notes: Denotes position within or among his river channels.
- יְאֹרָיו (yeʾorav) – Root: יאר (yeʾor); Form: Noun masculine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his rivers”; Notes: Symbolic of the Nile branches under Pharaoh’s control and pride.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause describing Pharaoh’s boast.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Reports Pharaoh’s arrogant declaration.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + first person common singular suffix; Translation: “to me” or “mine”; Notes: Expresses possession; “My river is mine.”
- יְאֹרִי (yeʾori) – Root: יאר (yeʾor); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my river”; Notes: Refers to the Nile, source of Egypt’s life and Pharaoh’s pride.
- וַאֲנִי (va-ani) – Root: אני (ani); Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I”; Notes: Emphasizes Pharaoh’s self-deification and self-sufficiency claim.
- עֲשִׂיתִנִי (ʿasitini) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular + suffix 1st person common singular (reflexive usage); Translation: “I have made myself”; Notes: Reflects Pharaoh’s blasphemous claim of self-creation, a theme later refuted by YHWH’s judgment.