וְעָנִ֨יתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גָר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְגֹ֥וי גָּדֹ֖ול עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב׃
And you shall respond and say before YHWH your God: A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down to Mitsrayim and sojourned there, few in number, and he became there a great nation, mighty and numerous.
Morphology
- וְעָנִ֨יתָ (ve-anita) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “And you shall respond”; Notes: Denotes verbal declaration.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֜ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Introduces the proclamation.
- לִפְנֵ֣י (lifnei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates standing before God.
- יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name.
- אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ (Elohekha) – Root: אלהים (Elohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural with suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Specifies divine authority.
- אֲרַמִּי֙ (Arammi) – Root: ארמי (Arami); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Aramean”; Notes: Describes the patriarch’s origin.
- אֹבֵ֣ד (oved) – Root: אבד (avad); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “wandering/lost”; Notes: Suggests instability.
- אָבִ֔י (avi) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to the patriarch, likely Yaʿaqov.
- וַיֵּ֣רֶד (vayered) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he went down”; Notes: Indicates movement to Mitsrayim.
- מִצְרַ֔יְמָה (Mitsraymah) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun with directional suffix; Translation: “to Mitsrayim”; Notes: Specifies the destination.
- וַיָּ֥גָר (vayagar) – Root: גור (gur); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he sojourned”; Notes: Indicates temporary residence.
- שָׁ֖ם (sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies location.
- בִּמְתֵ֣י (bimtei) – Root: מתי (meti); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “few in number”; Notes: Describes small population.
- מְעָ֑ט (meʿat) – Root: מעט (meʿat); Form: Adjective; Translation: “few”; Notes: Emphasizes numerical weakness.
- וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם (vayehi-sham) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he became there”; Notes: Marks transition.
- לְגֹ֥וי (le-goi) – Root: גוי (goi); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “a nation”; Notes: Marks national formation.
- גָּדֹ֖ול (gadol) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Describes numerical strength.
- עָצ֥וּם (atzum) – Root: עצם (atzam); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “mighty”; Notes: Refers to strength.
- וָרָֽב׃ (va-rav) – Root: רב (rav); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “and numerous”; Notes: Describes population growth.