וַיִּקְרָא֙ שֵׁ֣ם הַמָּקֹ֔ום מַסָּ֖ה וּמְרִיבָ֑ה עַל־רִ֣יב בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְעַ֨ל נַסֹּתָ֤ם אֶת־יְהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲיֵ֧שׁ יְהוָ֛ה בְּקִרְבֵּ֖נוּ אִם־אָֽיִן׃
And he called the name of the place Massa and Meriba, because of the contention of the children of Yisra’el and because they tested YHWH, saying, “Is YHWH among us or not?”
Morphology
- וַיִּקְרָא֙ (vayyiqra) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he called”; Notes: Refers to naming the place.
- שֵׁ֣ם (shem) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “The name”; Notes: Indicates the designation given.
- הַמָּקֹ֔ום (hammaqom) – Root: קום (q-w-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “The place”; Notes: Refers to the physical location.
- מַסָּ֖ה (Massah) – Root: נסה (n-s-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Massah”; Notes: Means “testing.”
- וּמְרִיבָ֑ה (u-Merivah) – Root: ריב (r-y-v); Form: Conjunction + Proper noun; Translation: “And Meribah”; Notes: Means “contention.”
- עַל־רִ֣יב (ʿal-riv) – Root: ריב (r-y-v); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “Because of the contention”; Notes: Refers to the argument of the people.
- בְּנֵ֣י (bene) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “Of the children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (Yisra’el) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: The subject of the contention.
- וְעַ֨ל (veʿal) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Conjunction + Preposition; Translation: “And because of”; Notes: Links the causes of the naming.
- נַסֹּתָ֤ם (nasotam) – Root: נסה (n-s-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “They tested”; Notes: Indicates the people’s testing of YHWH.
- אֶת־יְהוָה֙ (et-YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Direct object marker + Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Identifies the object of testing.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces the quoted speech.
- הֲיֵ֧שׁ (hayesh) – Root: ישׁ (y-sh); Form: Interrogative particle + Existential particle; Translation: “Is there”; Notes: Poses a rhetorical question.
- יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the divine presence.
- בְּקִרְבֵּ֖נוּ (beqirbenu) – Root: קרב (q-r-b); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “Among us”; Notes: Questions YHWH’s presence.
- אִם־אָֽיִן׃ (ʾim-ayin) – Root: אין (ʾ-y-n); Form: Conditional particle + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “Or not”; Notes: Completes the rhetorical question.