וַיַּרְא֙ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֖ה לָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתָּ֤ה עֹשֶׂה֙ לָעָ֔ם מַדּ֗וּעַ אַתָּ֤ה יֹושֵׁב֙ לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם נִצָּ֥ב עָלֶ֖יךָ מִן־בֹּ֥קֶר עַד־עָֽרֶב׃
And Moshe’s father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
Morphology
- וַיַּרְא֙ (vayyar) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he saw”; Notes: Indicates the perception of Moshe’s father-in-law.
- חֹתֵ֣ן (ḥoten) – Root: חתן (ḥ-t-n); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “Father-in-law of”; Notes: Refers to Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law.
- מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moshe) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: The main figure performing the action.
- אֵ֛ת (et) – Form: Direct object marker; Translation: N/A; Notes: Indicates that the following phrase is the direct object.
- כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא (kol-ʾasher-hu) – Root: כל (k-l) + אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + relative pronoun + pronoun; Translation: “All that he”; Notes: Refers to everything Moshe was doing.
- עֹשֶׂ֖ה (ʿoseh) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Is doing”; Notes: Describes ongoing activity.
- לָעָ֑ם (laʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “For the people”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s service to the Israelites.
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Yitro’s speech.
- מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֤ר (mah-haddavar) – Root: דבר (d-v-r); Form: Interrogative pronoun + Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “What is this thing”; Notes: Expresses inquiry.
- הַזֶּה֙ (hazzeh) – Root: N/A; Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Points to the specific action of Moshe.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Root: N/A; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “That”; Notes: Links the clause to the preceding phrase.
- אַתָּ֤ה (ʾattah) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, 2ms; Translation: “You”; Notes: Refers to Moshe.
- עֹשֶׂה֙ (ʿoseh) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Are doing”; Notes: Describes Moshe’s action.
- לָעָ֔ם (laʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “For the people”; Notes: Indicates the beneficiaries of Moshe’s actions.
- מַדּ֗וּעַ (maddūaʿ) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- אַתָּ֤ה (ʾattah) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, 2ms; Translation: “You”; Notes: Repeats emphasis on Moshe.
- יֹושֵׁב֙ (yoshēv) – Root: ישׁב (y-sh-v); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Are sitting”; Notes: Describes Moshe’s posture.
- לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ (levaddekha) – Root: בדד (b-d-d); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + 2ms suffix; Translation: “Alone”; Notes: Highlights Moshe’s solitary effort.
- וְכָל־הָעָ֛ם (vechol-haʿam) – Root: כל (k-l) + עם (ʿ-m); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “And all the people”; Notes: Refers to the congregation of Yisra’el.
- נִצָּ֥ב (nitsav) – Root: יצב (y-ts-v); Form: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Stand”; Notes: Indicates the people’s action.
- עָלֶ֖יךָ (ʿalekha) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “Upon you”; Notes: Refers to the burden placed on Moshe.
- מִן־בֹּ֥קֶר (min-boker) – Root: בקר (b-q-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “From morning”; Notes: Indicates the starting point of time.
- עַד־עָֽרֶב (ʿad-ʿarev) – Root: ערב (ʿ-r-v); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “Until evening”; Notes: Indicates the endpoint of time.