וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה בְּתֵ֣ת יְהוָה֩ לָכֶ֨ם בָּעֶ֜רֶב בָּשָׂ֣ר לֶאֱכֹ֗ל וְלֶ֤חֶם בַּבֹּ֨קֶר֙ לִשְׂבֹּ֔עַ בִּשְׁמֹ֤עַ יְהוָה֙ אֶת־תְּלֻנֹּ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם מַלִּינִ֖ם עָלָ֑יו וְנַ֣חְנוּ מָ֔ה לֹא־עָלֵ֥ינוּ תְלֻנֹּתֵיכֶ֖ם כִּ֥י עַל־יְהוָֽה׃
And Moshe said, “When YHWH gives you meat in the evening to eat and bread in the morning to satisfy you, because YHWH hears your grumblings which you are grumbling against Him—and what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against YHWH.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s speech.
- מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Moshe) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: The speaker.
- בְּתֵ֣ת (be-tet) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct; Translation: “When He gives”; Notes: Introduces the timing of the provision.
- יְהוָה֩ (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name.
- לָכֶ֨ם (lachem) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “To you”; Notes: Refers to the children of Yisra’el.
- בָּעֶ֜רֶב (ba-ʿerev) – Root: ערב (ʿ-r-v); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “In the evening”; Notes: Specifies the time of the meat provision.
- בָּשָׂ֣ר (basar) – Root: בשר (b-s-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “Meat”; Notes: Refers to the food YHWH provides.
- לֶאֱכֹ֗ל (leʾekhol) – Root: אכל (ʾ-k-l); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct; Translation: “To eat”; Notes: Purpose of the provision.
- וְלֶ֤חֶם (ve-lekhem) – Root: לחם (l-ḥ-m); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “And bread”; Notes: The second provision.
- בַּבֹּ֨קֶר (ba-voqer) – Root: בקר (b-q-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “In the morning”; Notes: Specifies the time of bread provision.
- לִשְׂבֹּ֔עַ (lisvoaʿ) – Root: שׂבע (s-b-ʿ); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct; Translation: “To satisfy”; Notes: Indicates the purpose of the bread.
- בִּשְׁמֹ֤עַ (bishmoaʿ) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct; Translation: “When He hears”; Notes: Explains YHWH’s response to their grumblings.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to God’s attentive nature.
- אֶת־תְּלֻנֹּ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם (et-telunnoteikhem) – Root: לון (l-w-n); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, feminine plural construct with 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your grumblings”; Notes: Refers to their complaints.
- אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם (asher-atem) – Root: N/A; Form: Relative pronoun + Independent pronoun, 2mp; Translation: “Which you”; Notes: Specifies the subject of the action.
- מַלִּינִ֖ם (mallinim) – Root: לון (l-w-n); Form: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural; Translation: “Are grumbling”; Notes: Describes their repeated action.
- עָלָ֑יו (ʿalav) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “Against Him”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the object of their grumbling.
- וְנַ֣חְנוּ (ve-nachnu) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction + Independent pronoun, 1cp; Translation: “And we”; Notes: Refers to Moshe and Aharon.
- מָ֔ה (mah) – Root: N/A; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Expresses insignificance.
- לֹא־עָלֵ֥ינוּ (loʾ-ʿaleinu) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Negation + Preposition + 1cp suffix; Translation: “Not against us”; Notes: Denies Moshe and Aharon as the target of complaints.
- תְלֻנֹּתֵיכֶ֖ם (telunnoteikhem) – Root: לון (l-w-n); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your grumblings”; Notes: Complaints directed at a higher authority.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the statement.
- עַל־יְהוָֽה׃ (ʿal-YHWH) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition + Proper noun; Translation: “Against YHWH”; Notes: Specifies the actual target of the grumblings.