וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּ֖נוּ וְנִשְׁמָ֑עָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּ֛נוּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים פֶּן־נָמֽוּת׃
And they said to Moshe, “You speak with us, and we will listen; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (vayyoʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Marks a direct speech from the people to Moshe.
- אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה (el-Moshe) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + Proper noun; Translation: “To Moshe”; Notes: Indicates the direction of their speech.
- דַּבֵּר־אַתָּ֥ה (dabber-atta) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperative, 2ms + Pronoun, 2ms; Translation: “You speak”; Notes: A direct request for Moshe to be their intermediary.
- עִמָּ֖נוּ (ʿimmanu) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + 1cp suffix; Translation: “With us”; Notes: Emphasizes their request for Moshe to communicate directly with them.
- וְנִשְׁמָ֑עָה (v’nishmaʿah) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, 1cp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And we will listen”; Notes: Expresses their willingness to heed Moshe’s words.
- וְאַל־יְדַבֵּ֥ר (vʾal-y’dabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Conjunction + Negative particle + Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “But let not speak”; Notes: Introduces their plea for God not to address them directly.
- עִמָּ֛נוּ (ʿimmanu) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + 1cp suffix; Translation: “With us”; Notes: Parallels the earlier usage in their speech to Moshe.
- אֱלֹהִ֖ים (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the divine being.
- פֶּן־נָמֽוּת (pen-namut) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “Lest we die”; Notes: Indicates their fear of perishing from direct divine interaction.