הֵ֣ן כֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָצָ֨אנוּ֙ בְּפִ֣י אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֱשִׁיבֹ֥נוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְאֵ֗יךְ נִגְנֹב֙ מִבֵּ֣ית אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ כֶּ֖סֶף אֹ֥ו זָהָֽב׃
“Behold, the silver that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Kena’an; how then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?”
Morphology
- הֵ֣ן (hen) – Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Used to emphasize the assertion or point made.
- כֶּ֗סֶף (kesef) – Root: כֶּסֶף (kesef); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “silver”; Notes: Refers to the money found in their sacks.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the clause specifying what was found.
- מָצָ֨אנוּ֙ (matsanu) – Root: מָצָא (matsa); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cp; Translation: “we found”; Notes: Indicates the action performed by the brothers.
- בְּפִ֣י (be-fi) – Root: פֶּה (peh); Form: Noun, ms construct with preposition; Translation: “in the mouth of”; Notes: Locates where the silver was found.
- אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ (amtachotenu) – Root: אַמְתַּחַת (amtachat); Form: Noun, fs with 1cp suffix; Translation: “our sacks”; Notes: Refers to their travel bags.
- הֱשִׁיבֹ֥נוּ (heshibonu) – Root: שׁוּב (shuv); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 1cp; Translation: “we brought back”; Notes: Indicates the act of returning the silver.
- אֵלֶ֖יךָ (elekha) – Root: אֵל (el); Form: Preposition with 2ms suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to the recipient of the returned silver.
- מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (me-eretz) – Root: אֶרֶץ (eretz); Form: Noun, fs with preposition; Translation: “from the land of”; Notes: Indicates the place from where they returned the silver.
- כְּנָ֑עַן (Kena’an) – Root: כְּנָעַן (Kena’an); Form: Proper noun, location; Translation: “Kena’an”; Notes: Refers to the land of their origin.
- וְאֵ֗יךְ (ve-eikh) – Form: Conjunction + Interrogative adverb; Translation: “and how”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- נִגְנֹב֙ (nignov) – Root: גָּנַב (ganav); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “could we steal”; Notes: Indicates the impossibility of their committing theft.
- מִבֵּ֣ית (mi-beit) – Root: בַּיִת (bayit); Form: Noun, ms construct with preposition; Translation: “from the house of”; Notes: Refers to the lord’s house.
- אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ (adonekha) – Root: אָדוֹן (adon); Form: Noun, ms with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your lord”; Notes: Refers to the lord of the speaker’s interlocutor.
- כֶּ֖סֶף (kesef) – Root: כֶּסֶף (kesef); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “silver”; Notes: One of the items allegedly stolen.
- אֹ֥ו (o) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “or”; Notes: Connects “silver” with “gold.”
- זָהָֽב (zahav) – Root: זָהָב (zahav); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “gold”; Notes: The other item allegedly stolen.