וַתֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ עַל־הָעָ֔ם לְמַהֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּחָ֣ם מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י אָמְר֖וּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ מֵתִֽים׃
And Mitsrayim pressed upon the people to hasten to send them out of the land, for they said, “We are all dead.”
Morphology
- וַתֶּחֱזַ֤ק (vatteḥezaq) – Root: חזק (ḥ-z-q); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3fs with vav consecutive; Translation: “And she pressed”; Notes: Refers to Egypt (personified) strongly urging the Israelites to leave.
- מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ (mitzrayim) – Root: מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptian nation.
- עַל־הָעָ֔ם (ʿal-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “Upon the people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- לְמַהֵ֖ר (lemaher) – Root: מהר (m-h-r); Form: Preposition + Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct; Translation: “To hasten”; Notes: Indicates urgency in sending the Israelites away.
- לְשַׁלְּחָ֣ם (leshallekham) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Preposition + Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “To send them”; Notes: Refers to expelling the Israelites from Egypt.
- מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ (min-haʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “Out of the land”; Notes: Refers to the land of Egypt.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their urgency.
- אָמְר֖וּ (ʾamru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “They said”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptians expressing fear.
- כֻלָּ֥נוּ (kullanu) – Root: כלל (k-l-l); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute + 1cp suffix; Translation: “We all”; Notes: Expresses collective fear of death among the Egyptians.
- מֵתִֽים׃ (metim) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural; Translation: “Are dead”; Notes: Indicates their realization of the severity of the plague.