וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו כִּ֥י יָדַ֖עְתִּי אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו׃
And YHWH said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Mitsrayim, and I have heard their cry because of their oppressors, for I know their sufferings.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Marks the beginning of YHWH’s speech.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (Y-H-W-H); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to God.
- רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי (raʾoh raʾiti) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Absolute + Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I have surely seen”; Notes: The infinitive absolute intensifies the verb’s action.
- אֶת־עֳנִ֥י (ʾet-ʿoni) – Root: ענה (ʿ-n-h); Form: Noun, ms with definite direct object marker; Translation: “the affliction”; Notes: Refers to the suffering or oppression.
- עַמִּ֖י (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun, ms with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Indicates God’s chosen people, the Israelites.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: N/A; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
- בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם (beMitsrayim) – Root: מצר (m-ts-r); Form: Noun, proper noun with preposition; Translation: “in Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to the land of Egypt.
- וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם (weʾet-tsaʿaqatam) – Root: צעק (ts-ʿ-q); Form: Noun, fs with conjunction and 3mp suffix; Translation: “and their cry”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites’ plea for help.
- שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ (shamaʿti) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I have heard”; Notes: Indicates God’s awareness of their plight.
- מִפְּנֵ֣י (mippenei) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition + noun, mp construct; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Refers to the reason for the cry.
- נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו (nogesav) – Root: נגשׂ (n-g-sh); Form: Noun, mp with 3mp suffix; Translation: “their oppressors”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptians who enforced labor.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a causal clause.
- יָדַ֖עְתִּי (yadaʿti) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I know”; Notes: Indicates God’s intimate awareness.
- אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו (ʾet-makʾovav) – Root: כאב (k-ʾ-b); Form: Noun, mp with definite direct object marker and 3mp suffix; Translation: “their sufferings”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites’ pains and hardships.