וַיְהִ֗י כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶ֤ם אֶת־הַקֹּול֙ מִתֹּ֣וךְ הַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַתִּקְרְב֣וּן אֵלַ֔י כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֥י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם וְזִקְנֵיכֶֽם׃
And it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain burned with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֗י (vayehi) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav consecutive; Translation: “And it was”; Notes: Indicates a narrative transition.
- כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶ֤ם (keshamaʿakhem) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Preposition with Qal infinitive construct and 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “when you heard”; Notes: Refers to the act of listening.
- אֶת־הַקֹּול֙ (et-ha-kol) – Root: קול (kol); Form: Direct object marker with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the voice”; Notes: Refers to the divine voice.
- מִתֹּ֣וךְ (mitokh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “from the midst of”; Notes: Indicates origin or location.
- הַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ (ha-ḥoshekh) – Root: חושך (ḥoshekh); Form: Definite article with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the darkness”; Notes: Refers to the obscurity surrounding the mountain.
- וְהָהָ֖ר (ve-ha-har) – Root: הר (har); Form: Conjunction with definite article and noun, masculine singular; Translation: “and the mountain”; Notes: Refers to Mount Sinai.
- בֹּעֵ֣ר (boʿer) – Root: בער (baʿar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “burning”; Notes: Describes the fiery appearance of the mountain.
- בָּאֵ֑שׁ (ba-esh) – Root: אש (esh); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with fire”; Notes: Indicates the presence of divine fire.
- וַתִּקְרְב֣וּן (vatikrevu) – Root: קרב (karav); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural with vav consecutive; Translation: “you came near”; Notes: Describes the act of approaching.
- אֵלַ֔י (elai) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to Moses.
- כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֥י (kol-rashei) – Root: ראש (rosh); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “all the heads of”; Notes: Refers to the leaders of the tribes.
- שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם (shivteikhem) – Root: שבט (shevet); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your tribes”; Notes: Refers to the divisions of Israel.
- וְזִקְנֵיכֶֽם (vezikneikhem) – Root: זקן (zaken); Form: Conjunction with noun, masculine plural construct and 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and your elders”; Notes: Refers to the senior members of the community.