וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽיהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּנָגְפֹּ֥ו אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ הִצִּ֑יל וַיִּקֹּ֥ד הָעָ֖ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃
And you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Pesaḥ to YHWH, who passed over the houses of the children of Yisra’el in Mitsrayim when He struck the Mitsrayim and spared our houses.’” And the people bowed and worshiped.
Morphology
- וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם (vaʾamartem) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2mp; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Directs the Israelites to explain the meaning of the Pesah.
- זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח (zevaḥ-pesah) – Root: זבח (z-v-ḥ) + פסח (p-s-ḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + Proper noun; Translation: “The sacrifice of Pesah”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial offering during Pesah.
- ה֜וּא (hu) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “It is”; Notes: Identifies the Pesah as the sacrifice being referred to.
- לַֽיהוָ֗ה (layhwh) – Root: יהוה (y-h-w-h); Form: Preposition + Proper noun; Translation: “To YHWH”; Notes: Indicates the offering is dedicated to God.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Root: N/A; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces the clause describing YHWH’s action.
- פָּ֠סַח (pasah) – Root: פסח (p-s-ḥ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Passed over”; Notes: Refers to YHWH sparing the houses of the Israelites.
- עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י (ʿal-battei) – Root: בית (b-y-t); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “Over the houses of”; Notes: Refers to the dwellings of the Israelites.
- בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (benei-yisraʾel) – Root: בן (b-n) + שר (s-r) + אל (ʾ-l); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + Proper noun; Translation: “The children of Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite people.
- בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם (bemitzrayim) – Root: מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Preposition + Proper noun; Translation: “In Egypt”; Notes: Specifies the location of the event.
- בְּנָגְפֹּ֥ו (benagpo) – Root: נגף (n-g-p); Form: Preposition + Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “When He struck”; Notes: Refers to YHWH striking the Egyptians.
- אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם (et-mitzrayim) – Root: מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Direct object marker + Proper noun; Translation: “The Egyptians”; Notes: Refers to the people of Egypt.
- וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ (veʾet-batteinu) – Root: בית (b-y-t); Form: Conjunction + Direct object marker + Noun, masculine plural construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “And our houses”; Notes: Refers to the dwellings of the Israelites.
- הִצִּ֑יל (hitzil) – Root: נצל (n-ts-l); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “He spared”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s protection over the Israelites’ homes.
- וַיִּקֹּ֥ד (vayyiqod) – Root: קדד (q-d-d); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they bowed”; Notes: Refers to the act of reverence by the Israelites.
- הָעָ֖ם (haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The people”; Notes: Refers to the children of Yisra’el.
- וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃ (vayishtakhaʾu) – Root: שחה (sh-kh-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Hishtafel, Imperfect, 3mp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And worshiped”; Notes: Indicates their acknowledgment of YHWH’s greatness.