וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ מָרָ֔תָה וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֗וּ לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת מַ֨יִם֙ מִמָּרָ֔ה כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים הֵ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמָ֖הּ מָרָֽה׃
And they came to Mara, but they could not drink the water from Mara because it was bitter. Therefore, its name was called Mara.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (vayyavoʾu) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, third person masculine plural with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they came”; Notes: Describes the arrival of Yisra’el at Marah.
- מָרָ֔תָה (Maratah) – Root: מר (m-r); Form: Proper noun with directional suffix; Translation: “To Marah”; Notes: Refers to the place named Marah.
- וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֗וּ (velo-yakhelu) – Root: יכל (y-k-l); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, third person masculine plural with negation; Translation: “And they could not”; Notes: Indicates inability to drink the water.
- לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת (lishtot) – Root: שתה (sh-t-h); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “To drink”; Notes: Explains the action they could not perform.
- מַ֨יִם֙ (mayim) – Root: מים (m-y-m); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Water”; Notes: Object of the verb “to drink.”
- מִמָּרָ֔ה (mi-Marah) – Root: מר (m-r); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “From Marah”; Notes: Indicates the source of the water.
- כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים (ki marim) – Root: מר (m-r); Form: Conjunction + adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “Because it was bitter”; Notes: Explains why the water was undrinkable.
- הֵ֑ם (hem) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Third person masculine plural; Translation: “They”; Notes: Refers to the water.
- עַל־כֵּ֥ן (ʿal-ken) – Root: Conjunction; Form: Preposition + demonstrative particle; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Indicates the reason for the naming.
- קָרָֽא־ (qara) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, third person masculine singular; Translation: “He called”; Notes: Refers to the act of naming.
- שְׁמָ֖הּ (shemah) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “Its name”; Notes: Refers to the name of the place.
- מָרָֽה (Marah) – Root: מר (m-r); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Marah”; Notes: Means “bitter” and is the name of the place.