וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֲלֵהֶ֜ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מוּתֵ֤נוּ בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֨נוּ֙ עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע כִּֽי־הֹוצֵאתֶ֤ם אֹתָ֨נוּ֙ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לְהָמִ֛ית אֶת־כָּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בָּרָעָֽב׃ ס
The children of Yisra’el said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Mitsrayim, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Introduces the speech of the children of Yisra’el.
- אֲלֵהֶ֜ם (alehem) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to Moshe and Aharon.
- בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (bene-Yisra’el) – Root: בן (b-n) + Proper noun; Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + Proper noun; Translation: “The children of Yisra’el”; Notes: The speakers.
- מִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן (mi-yitten) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Interrogative + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “If only [He] would give”; Notes: Expresses a longing or wish.
- מוּתֵ֤נוּ (mutenu) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Infinitive construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “Our death”; Notes: Desires death in contrast to current suffering.
- בְיַד־יְהוָה֙ (beyad-YHWH) – Root: יד (y-d) + Proper noun; Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular construct + Proper noun; Translation: “By the hand of YHWH”; Notes: Indicates the agent of their preferred death.
- בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם (be’eretz Mitsrayim) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts) + Proper noun; Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular absolute + Proper noun; Translation: “In the land of Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to their previous location.
- בְּשִׁבְתֵּ֨נוּ (beshivtenu) – Root: ישב (y-sh-b); Form: Infinitive construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “When we sat”; Notes: Indicates their past state of comfort.
- עַל־סִ֣יר הַבָּשָׂ֔ר (ʿal-sir ha-basar) – Root: סיר (s-y-r) + בשר (b-sh-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “By the pots of meat”; Notes: Highlights their nostalgia for abundance.
- בְּאָכְלֵ֥נוּ (be’ochlenu) – Root: אכל (ʾ-k-l); Form: Infinitive construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “When we ate”; Notes: Refers to the act of eating to satisfaction.
- לֶ֖חֶם לָשֹׂ֑בַע (lechem la-sova) – Root: לחם (l-ch-m) + שבע (s-b-ʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute + Noun, masculine singular absolute with preposition; Translation: “Bread to the full”; Notes: Emphasizes their past abundance.
- כִּֽי־הֹוצֵאתֶ֤ם (ki-hotzetem) – Root: יצא (y-ts-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Hifil, Perfect, 2mp; Translation: “For you have brought us out”; Notes: Accuses Moshe and Aharon of causing their plight.
- אֹתָ֨נוּ (otanu) – Root: N/A; Form: Direct object marker + 1cp suffix; Translation: “Us”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisra’el.
- אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה (el-ha-midbar ha-zeh) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article + Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “Into this wilderness”; Notes: Describes their current location.
- לְהָמִ֛ית (lehamit) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “To kill”; Notes: Expresses their perception of Moshe’s intent.
- אֶת־כָּל־הַקָּהָ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה (et-kol-ha-qahal ha-zeh) – Root: קהל (q-h-l); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article + Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “This entire assembly”; Notes: Refers to the entire community of Yisra’el.
- בָּרָעָֽב׃ (ba-raʿav) – Root: רעב (r-ʿ-v); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “With hunger”; Notes: Describes the hardship they fear in the wilderness.