וְאַתָּ֞ה דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ אֹ֨ות הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃
“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am YHWH who sanctifies you.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּ֞ה (ve’atah) – Root: אתה (ʾ-t-h); Form: Conjunction + Pronoun, 2ms; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Emphasizes Moshe as the recipient of the command.
- דַּבֵּ֨ר (dabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: A command directed to Moshe.
- אֶל־ (el) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition; Translation: “To”; Notes: Indicates the direction of speech.
- בְּנֵ֤י (benei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “The children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (Yisra’el) – Root: שׂרה (s-r-h) + אל (ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Preposition + Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אַ֥ךְ (akh) – Root: אך (ʾ-k); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Surely”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the command.
- אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י (et-shabbotai) – Root: שבת (sh-b-t); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, feminine plural with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My Sabbaths”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s holy days of rest.
- תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ (tishmeru) – Root: שמר (sh-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “You shall keep”; Notes: Command to observe the Sabbaths.
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for keeping the Sabbaths.
- אֹ֨ות (ot) – Root: אות (ʾ-w-t); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “A sign”; Notes: Refers to the covenantal symbol of the Sabbath.
- הִ֜וא (hi) – Root: הוא (h-w-ʾ); Form: Pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “It is”; Notes: Refers to the Sabbath as a sign.
- בֵּינִ֤י (beini) – Root: בין (b-y-n); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “Between Me”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s covenant with Yisra’el.
- וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ (uveineikhem) – Root: בין (b-y-n); Form: Conjunction + Preposition + Pronoun, 2mp; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Indicates the relational aspect of the Sabbath covenant.
- לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם (ledoroteikhem) – Root: דור (d-w-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct + Pronoun, 2mp; Translation: “Throughout your generations”; Notes: Indicates the perpetual nature of the command.
- לָדַ֕עַת (lada’at) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Preposition + Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “To know”; Notes: Indicates the purpose of the sign.
- כִּ֛י (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “That”; Notes: Introduces the clause explaining the sign.
- אֲנִ֥י (ani) – Root: אנא (ʾ-n-ʾ); Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the speaker.
- יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (y-h-w-h); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ (mekaddishkhem) – Root: קדש (q-d-sh); Form: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular + 2mp suffix; Translation: “Who sanctifies you”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the one who sets the people apart for holiness.