וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֑ר רָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא׃
And YHWH said to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular (wayyiqtol); Translation: “And said”; Notes: Indicates sequential action, often narrative.
- יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- אֵלַ֣י (ʾelai) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates direction.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Often introduces direct speech.
- רָאִ֨יתִי֙ (raʾiti) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have seen”; Notes: Indicates completed action.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Definite direct object marker; Translation: Not translated; Notes: Marks the definite object of the verb.
- הָעָ֣ם (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the group of Israelites.
- הַזֶּ֔ה (hazzeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the specific people mentioned.
- וְהִנֵּ֥ה (vehineh) – Root: הנה (hineh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Draws attention to what follows.
- עַם־ (ʿam-) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “a people of”; Notes: Describes a characteristic of the people.
- קְשֵׁה־ (qesheh-) – Root: קשׁה (qashah); Form: Adjective, masculine singular construct; Translation: “stiff”; Notes: Describes stubbornness or resistance.
- עֹ֖רֶף (ʿoref) – Root: ערף (ʿoref); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “neck”; Notes: Idiom for stubbornness or rebellion.
- הֽוּא׃ (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Identifies the subject emphatically.