וַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁ֣ה פַרְעֹה֮ לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג יְהֹוָ֤ה כָּל־בְּכֹור֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִבְּכֹ֥ר אָדָ֖ם וְעַד־בְּכֹ֣ור בְּהֵמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֩ אֲנִ֨י זֹבֵ֜חַ לַֽיהוָ֗ה כָּל־פֶּ֤טֶר רֶ֨חֶם֙ הַזְּכָרִ֔ים וְכָל־בְּכֹ֥ור בָּנַ֖י אֶפְדֶּֽה׃
And it came to pass, when Parʿo stubbornly refused to let us go, that YHWH killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to YHWH all the males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.
Morphology
- וַיְהִ֗י (vayehi) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And it came to pass”; Notes: Marks the beginning of an event or narrative.
- כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁ֣ה (ki-hiksheh) – Root: קשׁה (q-sh-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “When he stubbornly refused”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh’s resistance.
- פַרְעֹה֮ (Parʿoh) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: The king of Egypt.
- לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ֒ (leshallekhenu) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Preposition + Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “To let us go”; Notes: Refers to releasing the Israelites.
- וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג (vayaharog) – Root: הרג (h-r-g); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “That He killed”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s judgment.
- יְהוָ֤ה (yhwh) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
- כָל־בְּכֹור֙ (kol-bekhor) – Root: בכר (b-kh-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “All the firstborn”; Notes: Refers to every firstborn.
- בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם (be’eretz Mitzrayim) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts) and מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular construct + Proper noun; Translation: “In the land of Egypt”; Notes: Specifies the location of the event.
- מִבְּכֹ֥ר אָדָ֖ם (mibekhor adam) – Root: בכר (b-kh-r) and אדם (ʾ-d-m); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “From the firstborn of man”; Notes: Indicates the extent of the judgment.
- וְעַד־בְּכֹ֣ור בְּהֵמָ֑ה (veʿad-bekhor behemah) – Root: בכר (b-kh-r) and בהמ (b-h-m); Form: Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “To the firstborn of beast”; Notes: Expands the scope of the event.
- עַל־כֵּן֩ (ʿal-ken) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Indicates a conclusion or result.
- אֲנִ֨י זֹבֵ֜חַ (ani zoveaḥ) – Root: זבח (z-v-ḥ); Form: Pronoun + Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “I sacrifice”; Notes: Refers to the act of offering to YHWH.
- לַֽיהוָ֗ה (layhwh) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + Proper noun; Translation: “To YHWH”; Notes: Specifies the recipient of the sacrifice.
- כָּל־פֶּ֤טֶר רֶ֨חֶם֙ (kol-peter rekhem) – Root: פתר (p-t-r) and רחם (r-ḥ-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “All males that open the womb”; Notes: Refers to the firstborn offspring.
- הַזְּכָרִ֔ים (hazekharim) – Root: זכר (z-kh-r); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute with definite article; Translation: “The males”; Notes: Specifies the gender of the offerings.
- וְכָל־בְּכֹ֥ור (vekol-bekhor) – Root: בכר (b-kh-r); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “And all the firstborn”; Notes: Refers to human firstborns.
- בָּנַ֖י (banai) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Of my sons”; Notes: Refers to the speaker’s children
- אֶפְדֶּֽה׃ (efdeh) – Root: פדה (p-d-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “I redeem”; Notes: Indicates the act of substituting or ransoming the firstborn of his sons.