Exodus 1:17

וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Mitsrayim commanded them but let the boys live.

Morphology

1. וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ (vatirenah) – Root: ירא (y-r-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3fp with vav consecutive; Translation: “But they feared”; Notes: Describes the midwives’ reverence or fear of God.
2. הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ (hamyaldot) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Noun, fp with definite article; Translation: “The midwives”; Notes: Refers to Shiphrah and Puah.
3. אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים (et-haElohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “God”; Notes: Specifies the object of their fear.
4. וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ (velo ʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3cp with conjunction; Translation: “And did not do”; Notes: Indicates disobedience to Pharaoh’s command.
5. כַאֲשֶׁ֛ר (kaʾasher) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + relative particle; Translation: “As”; Notes: Introduces the comparison.
6. דִּבֶּ֥ר (dibber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “He commanded”; Notes: Indicates Pharaoh’s explicit orders.
7. אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן (ʾaleihen) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3fp; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to the midwives.
8. מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם (melekh Mitsrayim) – Root: מלך (m-l-k); Form: Noun, ms construct + proper noun; Translation: “The king of Egypt”; Notes: Identifies Pharaoh.
9. וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ (vateḥayyenah) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3fp with vav consecutive; Translation: “But let live”; Notes: Indicates their actions to preserve life.
10. אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים (et-hayeladim) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Direct object marker + noun, mp with definite article; Translation: “The boys”; Notes: Refers to the male infants.