וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹותֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמֹ֔ו מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃
And Moshe said to the God, “Behold, I come to the children of Yisra’el, and I say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks the continuation of Moshe’s dialogue with Elohim.
- מֹשֶׁ֜ה (Moshe) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: The speaker in this context.
- אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים (el-haElohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Preposition + noun, mp with definite article; Translation: “to Elohim”; Notes: Refers to God as the addressee.
- הִנֵּ֨ה (hinneh) – Root: N/A; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Expresses Moshe’s attention and preparation.
- אָנֹכִ֣י (anokhi) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: Subject pronoun used for emphasis.
- בָא֮ (ba) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, participle, ms; Translation: “come”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s approach to the Israelites.
- אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י (el-bene) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Preposition + noun, mp construct; Translation: “to the children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Israel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ (Yisra’el) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Represents the collective nation.
- וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י (veʾamarti) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, 1cs with vav consecutive; Translation: “and I say”; Notes: Depicts Moshe’s intended speech.
- לָהֶ֔ם (lahem) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Directs the statement to the children of Israel.
- אֱלֹהֵ֥י (Elohei) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, mp construct; Translation: “The Elohim of”; Notes: Introduces the ancestral deity.
- אֲבֹותֵיכֶ֖ם (avotekhem) – Root: אב (ʾ-v); Form: Noun, mp construct + 2mp suffix; Translation: “your fathers”; Notes: Specifies the forefathers of Israel.
- שְׁלָחַ֣נִי (shelachani) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, 3ms + 1cs suffix; Translation: “has sent me”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s mission.
- אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם (aleikhem) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to the recipients of the message.
- וְאָֽמְרוּ־ (veʾamru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, 3mp with vav consecutive; Translation: “and they say”; Notes: Predicts the response of the Israelites.
- לִ֣י (li) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Directs the question to Moshe.
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: N/A; Form: Interrogative; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces the question.
- שְּׁמֹ֔ו (shem-o) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Noun, ms construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “is His name”; Notes: Refers to God’s identity.
- מָ֥ה (mah) – Root: N/A; Form: Interrogative; Translation: “What”; Notes: Reiterates the question.
- אֹמַ֖ר (omar) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “shall I say”; Notes: Reflects Moshe’s concern.
- אֲלֵהֶֽם (aleihem) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the recipients of the question.