וַיְחַ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לָמָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ יֶחֱרֶ֤ה אַפְּךָ֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֹוצֵ֨אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥חַ גָּדֹ֖ול וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃
And Moshe pleaded before YHWH his God and said, “Why, YHWH, does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and a mighty hand?
Morphology
- וַיְחַ֣ל (vayyeḥal) – Root: חלה (ḥ-l-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he pleaded”; Notes: Describes Moshe’s intercession before YHWH.
- מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to Moses, the leader of Yisra’el.
- אֶת־ (et) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “—”; Notes: Marks the direct object of the verb.
- פְּנֵ֖י (penei) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “The face of”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s approach to YHWH.
- יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (Y-H-W-H); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to God’s name.
- אֱלֹהָ֑יו (elohav) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + Pronoun, 3ms suffix; Translation: “His God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as Moshe’s deity.
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (vayyo’mer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks Moshe’s speech to YHWH.
- לָמָ֤ה (lamah) – Root: למה (l-m-h); Form: Interrogative; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Moshe questions YHWH’s actions.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (Y-H-W-H); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Reiterates YHWH as the addressed party.
- יֶחֱרֶ֤ה (yekhreh) – Root: חרה (ḥ-r-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “Does it burn”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s anger being kindled.
- אַפְּךָ֙ (appekha) – Root: אף (ʾ-p); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your anger”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s wrath.
- בְּעַמֶּ֔ךָ (be’ammekha) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “Against Your people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “Whom”; Notes: Introduces a clause describing the people.
- הֹוצֵ֨אתָ֙ (hotzeta) – Root: יצא (y-ṣ-ʾ); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 2ms; Translation: “You brought out”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s act of delivering the Israelites.
- מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (me’eretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “Out of the land of”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim.
- מִצְרַ֔יִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצר (m-ṣ-r); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- בְּכֹ֥חַ (bekhoach) – Root: כח (k-ḥ); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “With power”; Notes: Indicates the strength of YHWH’s action.
- גָּדֹ֖ול (gadol) – Root: גדל (g-d-l); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “Great”; Notes: Describes the magnitude of the power.
- וּבְיָ֥ד (uveyad) – Root: יד (y-d); Form: Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “And with a hand”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s might.
- חֲזָקָֽה׃ (ḥazaqah) – Root: חזק (ḥ-z-q); Form: Adjective, feminine singular; Translation: “Mighty”; Notes: Describes the strength of YHWH’s deliverance.