וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָרֶ֣דֶת מִן־הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקָּהֵ֨ל הָעָ֜ם עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ ק֣וּם עֲשֵׂה־לָ֣נוּ אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵֽלְכוּ֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ כִּי־זֶ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱלָ֨נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְנוּ מֶה־הָ֥יָה לֹֽו׃
And the people saw that Moshe delayed to come down from the mountain, and the people gathered themselves together to Aharon and said to him, “Arise, make for us gods who shall go before us. For this Moshe, the man who brought us up out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.”
Morphology
- וַיַּ֣רְא (vayyar) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And saw”; Notes: Refers to the people perceiving Moshe’s delay.
- הָעָ֔ם (ha’am) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- כִּֽי־בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ (ki-boshes) – Root: בושׁ (b-w-sh); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “That delayed”; Notes: Describes Moshe’s delay in returning.
- מֹשֶׁ֖ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to the prophet Moses.
- לָרֶ֣דֶת (laredet) – Root: ירד (y-r-d); Form: Preposition + Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “To come down”; Notes: Refers to descending from Mount Sinai.
- מִן־ (min) – Root: מן (m-n); Form: Preposition; Translation: “From”; Notes: Indicates separation or origin.
- הָהָ֑ר (hahar) – Root: הר (h-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The mountain”; Notes: Refers to Mount Sinai.
- וַיִּקָּהֵ֨ל (vayyiqahhel) – Root: קהל (q-h-l); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Niphal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And gathered themselves together”; Notes: Refers to the people assembling.
- הָעָ֜ם (ha’am) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- עַֽל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition; Translation: “To”; Notes: Indicates direction toward Aharon.
- אַהֲרֹ֗ן (Aharon) – Root: אהרן (ʾ-h-r-n); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Aharon”; Notes: Refers to Aaron, brother of Moshe.
- וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ (vayyo’meru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: The people speak to Aharon.
- אֵלָיו֙ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “To him”; Notes: Refers to Aharon.
- ק֣וּם (qum) – Root: קום (q-w-m); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Arise”; Notes: A command to take action.
- עֲשֵׂה־ (aseh) – Root: עשׂה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Make”; Notes: Refers to creating an object of worship.
- לָ֣נוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (l) + אנחנו (ʾ-n-ḥ-n); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 1cp; Translation: “For us”; Notes: Indicates the people’s request.
- אֱלֹהִ֗ים (elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Gods”; Notes: Refers to deities to lead them.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces the description of the gods.
- יֵֽלְכוּ֙ (yel’khu) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “Shall go”; Notes: Indicates leadership or guidance.
- לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ (lefaneinu) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct + Pronoun, 1cp; Translation: “Before us”; Notes: Refers to leading the way.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the people’s demand.
- זֶ֣ה (zeh) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Refers to Moshe, emphasizing his absence.
- מֹשֶׁ֣ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to the leader of the Israelites.
- הָאִ֗ישׁ (ha’ish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The man”; Notes: Describes Moshe in human terms.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces a clause describing Moshe.
- הֶֽעֱלָ֨נוּ (he’elanu) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3ms + 1cp suffix; Translation: “Brought us up”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s role in leading them out of Mitsrayim.
- מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (me’eretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “Out of the land of”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim as the place of bondage.
- מִצְרַ֔יִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצר (m-ṣ-r); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יָדַ֖עְנוּ (yada’nu) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cp; Translation: “We know”; Notes: Indicates the people’s uncertainty about Moshe’s fate.
- מֶה־ (meh) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces the question about Moshe’s fate.
- הָ֥יָה (hayah) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Has become”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s unknown condition.
- לֹֽו׃ (lo) – Root: ל (l) + הוא (h-w); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “Of him”; Notes: Refers to Moshe.