וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֔ות וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָאָבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹתֹ֔ו וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖יא וָחָֽיָה׃
And he said, “When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Pharaoh’s command.
- בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ (beyaledkhen) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Verb, Piel, Infinitive Construct with 2fp suffix and preposition; Translation: “When you assist in childbirth”; Notes: Refers to the role of the midwives.
- אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֔ות (et-haʿivriyyot) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Direct object marker + adjective, fp with definite article; Translation: “The Hebrew women”; Notes: Specifies the subject.
- וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן (ure’iten) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2fp with conjunction; Translation: “And you see”; Notes: Indicates observing the situation during childbirth.
- עַל־הָאָבְנָ֑יִם (ʿal-haʾovnayim) – Root: אבן (ʾ-v-n); Form: Preposition + noun, dual with definite article; Translation: “On the birthstool”; Notes: Refers to the place where childbirth occurs.
- אִם־בֵּ֥ן (im-ben) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Conditional particle + noun, ms; Translation: “If it is a son”; Notes: Establishes the condition.
- הוּא֙ (hu) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “He”; Notes: Refers to the newborn son.
- וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן (vahamiten) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 2fp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And you shall kill”; Notes: Command to take the life of male infants.
- אֹתֹ֔ו (oto) – Root: N/A; Form: Direct object marker + pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “Him”; Notes: Refers to the male infant.
- וְאִם־בַּ֥ת (ve’im-bat) – Root: בת (b-t); Form: Conjunction + conditional particle + noun, fs; Translation: “But if it is a daughter”; Notes: Establishes the contrasting condition.
- הִ֖יא (hi) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, 3fs; Translation: “She”; Notes: Refers to the newborn daughter.
- וָחָֽיָה (vachayah) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3fs with vav consecutive; Translation: “She shall live”; Notes: Command to let the female infants live.