Exodus 12:29

וַיְהִ֣י בַּחֲצִ֣י הַלַּ֗יְלָה וַֽיהוָה֮ הִכָּ֣ה כָל־בְּכֹור֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ מִבְּכֹ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְאֹ֔ו עַ֚ד בְּכֹ֣ור הַשְּׁבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַבֹּ֑ור וְכֹ֖ל בְּכֹ֥ור בְּהֵמָֽה׃

And it came to pass at midnight that YHWH struck all the firstborn in the land of Mitsrayim, from the firstborn of Parʿo who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who is in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock.

Morphology

1. וַיְהִ֣י (vayehi) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Introduces a significant event.
2. בַּחֲצִ֣י (baḥatzi) – Root: חצי (ḥ-ts-y); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “At midnight”; Notes: Specifies the timing of the event.
3. הַלַּ֗יְלָה (hallayla) – Root: ליל (l-y-l); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The night”; Notes: Refers to the time of YHWH’s action.
4. וַֽיהוָה֮ (vayhwh) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction + Proper noun; Translation: “And YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the covenantal name of God.
5. הִכָּ֣ה (hikkah) – Root: נכה (n-k-h); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Struck”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s action of bringing the plague.
6. כָל־בְּכֹור֮ (kol-bekhor) – Root: בכר (b-k-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “All the firstborn”; Notes: Refers to the eldest in each household.
7. בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ (beʾeretz mitzrayim) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts) + מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular with definite article + Proper noun; Translation: “In the land of Egypt”; Notes: Specifies the location of the plague.
8. מִבְּכֹ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ (mibbekhor parʿo) – Root: בכר (b-k-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Proper noun; Translation: “From the firstborn of Parʿo”; Notes: Refers to the highest-ranking firstborn in Egypt.
9. הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב (hayoshev) – Root: ישב (y-sh-b); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Who sits”; Notes: Describes Parʿo’s position of authority.
10. עַל־כִּסְאֹ֔ו (ʿal-kisʾo) – Root: כסא (k-s-ʾ); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “On his throne”; Notes: Refers to Parʿo’s seat of power.
11. עַ֚ד בְּכֹ֣ור הַשְּׁבִ֔י (ʿad bekhor hashevi) – Root: בכר (b-k-r) + שבה (sh-b-h); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “To the firstborn of the captive”; Notes: Refers to the lowest social rank affected.
12. אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַבֹּ֑ור (asher beveit habbor) – Root: בית (b-y-t) + בור (b-w-r); Form: Relative pronoun + Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “Who is in the dungeon”; Notes: Specifies the location of the captive.
13. וְכֹ֖ל בְּכֹ֥ור בְּהֵמָֽה׃ (vechol bekhor behemah) – Root: בכר (b-k-r) + בהמה (b-h-m); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “And all the firstborn of livestock”; Notes: Indicates that even animals were included in the plague.