וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לִ֔י עֲשֵׂה־לָ֣נוּ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֵלְכ֖וּ לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ כִּי־זֶ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱלָ֨נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְנוּ מֶה־הָ֥יָה לֹֽו׃
And they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us, for this Moshe, the man who brought us up from the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.’
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ (vayomeru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the people speaking to Aharon.
- לִ֔י (li) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “To me”; Notes: Refers to Aharon as the recipient.
- עֲשֵׂה־ (ʿaseh) – Root: עשׂה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Make”; Notes: A command directed at Aharon.
- לָ֣נוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 1cp; Translation: “For us”; Notes: Refers to the people’s desire for an object of worship.
- אֱלֹהִ֔ים (elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Gods”; Notes: Refers to a request for a new deity.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces a description of the desired gods.
- יֵלְכ֖וּ (yelchu) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “Shall go”; Notes: Refers to the gods leading the people.
- לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ (lefaneinu) – Root: פני (p-n-y); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct + Pronoun, 1cp suffix; Translation: “Before us”; Notes: Indicates leadership or guidance.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their request.
- זֶ֣ה (zeh) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Refers to Moshe.
- מֹשֶׁ֣ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to Moses.
- הָאִ֗ישׁ (haʾish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “The man”; Notes: Describes Moshe’s human aspect.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces a clause about Moshe’s role.
- הֶֽעֱלָ֨נוּ (heʿelanu) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3ms + Pronoun, 1cp suffix; Translation: “Brought us up”; Notes: Refers to Moshe leading them out of Mitsrayim.
- מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (meʾeretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “From the land of”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim.
- מִצְרַ֔יִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (m-ṣ-r-y-m); Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יָדַ֖עְנוּ (yadaʿnu) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cp; Translation: “We know”; Notes: Indicates the people’s uncertainty.
- מֶה־ (meh) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Refers to their question about Moshe.
- הָ֥יָה (hayah) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Has become”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s current status.
- לֹֽו׃ (lo) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “Of him”; Notes: Refers to Moshe.