וַיִּקְרָ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ן מַדּ֥וּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃
And the king of Mitsrayim summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and let the boys live?”
Morphology
- וַיִּקְרָ֤א (vayiqra) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he summoned”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh calling the midwives.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ (melekh-Mitsrayim) – Root: מלך (m-l-k); Form: Noun, ms construct + proper noun; Translation: “The king of Egypt”; Notes: Identifies Pharaoh.
- לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת (lamyaldot) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Noun, fp with preposition + definite article; Translation: “To the midwives”; Notes: Refers to Shiphrah and Puah.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Pharaoh’s question.
- לָהֶ֔ן (lahen) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3fp; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to the midwives.
- מַדּ֥וּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces the question.
- עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן (ʿasiten) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2fp; Translation: “Have you done”; Notes: Indicates the midwives’ actions.
- הַדָּבָ֣ר (haddavar) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “This thing”; Notes: Refers to their decision to let the boys live.
- הַזֶּ֑ה (hazzeh) – Root: N/A; Form: Demonstrative pronoun, ms; Translation: “This”; Notes: Emphasizes the specific act.
- וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ (vateḥayyenah) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3fp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And let live”; Notes: Indicates their act of preserving the boys’ lives.
- אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים (et-hayeladim) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Direct object marker + noun, mp with definite article; Translation: “The boys”; Notes: Specifies the male children saved by the midwives.