וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֣י לֹ֧א כַנָּשִׁ֛ים הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת כִּֽי־חָיֹ֣ות הֵ֔נָּה בְּטֶ֨רֶם תָּבֹ֧וא אֲלֵהֶ֛ן הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ׃
And the midwives said to Parʿo, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Mitsrit women, for they are vigorous; before the midwife comes to them, they give birth.”
Morphology
- וַתֹּאמַ֤רְנָה (vatomerna) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3fp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the midwives responding to Pharaoh.
- הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ (hamyaldot) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Noun, fp with definite article; Translation: “The midwives”; Notes: Identifies the speakers.
- אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה (el-parʿoh) – Root: פרע (p-r-ʿ); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “To Pharaoh”; Notes: Indicates the addressee.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Because”; Notes: Introduces the explanation.
- לֹ֧א (lo) – Root: N/A; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the comparison.
- כַנָּשִׁ֛ים (kanashim) – Root: אשה (ʾ-i-sh); Form: Noun, fp with prefix; Translation: “Like the women”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptian women.
- הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת (hamitsriyot) – Root: מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Adjective, fp with definite article; Translation: “The Egyptian”; Notes: Describes the women.
- הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת (haʿivriyot) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Adjective, fp with definite article; Translation: “The Hebrew”; Notes: Contrasts with Egyptian women.
- כִּֽי־חָיֹ֣ות (ki-ḥayot) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Adjective, fp; Translation: “For they are vigorous”; Notes: Explains their resilience.
- הֵ֔נָּה (henna) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, fp; Translation: “They”; Notes: Refers to the Hebrew women.
- בְּטֶ֨רֶם (beterem) – Root: טרם (t-r-m); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Before”; Notes: Indicates prior action.
- תָּבֹ֧וא (tavo) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3fs; Translation: “Comes”; Notes: Describes the midwife’s arrival.
- אֲלֵהֶ֛ן (aleihen) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3fp; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to the Hebrew women.
- הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת (hamyaledet) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Noun, fs with definite article; Translation: “The midwife”; Notes: Specifies the person who assists in childbirth.
- וְיָלָֽדוּ (veyaladu) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3fp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they give birth”; Notes: Indicates the Hebrew women’s ability to deliver children quickly.