וְאִם־אָמֹ֤ר יֹאמַר֙ הָעֶ֔בֶד אָהַ֨בְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֔י אֶת־אִשְׁתִּ֖י וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑י לֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א חָפְשִֽׁי׃
But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’
Morphology
- וְאִם־ (ve-im) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction + Conditional particle; Translation: “But if”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- אָמֹ֤ר (ʾamor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Emphasizes the certainty of the statement.
- יֹאמַר֙ (yoʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “He says”; Notes: Refers to the servant speaking.
- הָעֶ֔בֶד (ha-ʿeved) – Root: עבד (ʿ-b-d); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “The servant”; Notes: The subject of the condition.
- אָהַ֨בְתִּי֙ (ʾahavti) – Root: אהב (ʾ-h-b); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I love”; Notes: Expresses the servant’s affection.
- אֶת־אֲדֹנִ֔י (ʾet-adoni) – Root: אדן (ʾ-d-n); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular construct with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My master”; Notes: Indicates affection for the master.
- אֶת־אִשְׁתִּ֖י (ʾet-ishti) – Root: אשה (ʾ-sh-h); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, feminine singular construct with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My wife”; Notes: Refers to the servant’s wife.
- וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑י (ve-ʾet-banai) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Conjunction + Direct object marker + Noun, masculine plural construct with 1cs suffix; Translation: “And my children”; Notes: Includes his offspring.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: N/A; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the following action.
- אֵצֵ֖א (ʾetze) – Root: יצא (y-tz-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “I will go out”; Notes: Refers to leaving servitude.
- חָפְשִֽׁי (ḥofshi) – Root: חפש (ḥ-p-sh); Form: Adjective, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “Free”; Notes: Describes the servant’s potential status.