וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֱמֹ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אַתֶּ֣ם עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֔רֶף רֶ֧גַע אֶחָ֛ד אֶֽעֱלֶ֥ה בְקִרְבְּךָ֖ וְכִלִּיתִ֑יךָ וְעַתָּ֗ה הֹורֵ֤ד עֶדְיְךָ֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְאֵדְעָ֖ה מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃
And YHWH said to Moshe, “Say to the children of Yisra’el: You are a stiff-necked people. If for one moment I were to go up in your midst, I would consume you. Now, take off your ornaments from yourself, and I will know what I will do to you.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to YHWH speaking.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (Y-H-W-H); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name of God.
- אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition; Translation: “To”; Notes: Marks the indirect object “Moshe.”
- מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to the leader of the Israelites.
- אֱמֹ֤ר (ʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Say”; Notes: A command to Moshe.
- אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition; Translation: “To”; Notes: Introduces the direct object, “the children of Yisra’el.”
- בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (bene-Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (b-n) + ישׂראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + Proper noun; Translation: “The children of Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite people.
- אַתֶּ֣ם (ʾattem) – Root: אתה (ʾ-t-h); Form: Pronoun, 2mp; Translation: “You”; Notes: Refers to the people being addressed.
- עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֔רֶף (ʿam-qeshe-ʿoref) – Root: עם (ʿ-m) + קשׁה (q-sh-h) + ערף (ʿ-r-p); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + Adjective, masculine singular construct + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “A stiff-necked people”; Notes: A metaphor for stubbornness.
- רֶ֧גַע (regaʿ) – Root: רגע (r-g-ʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Moment”; Notes: Refers to a brief period of time.
- אֶחָ֛ד (ʾeḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾ-ḥ-d); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “One”; Notes: Modifies “moment.”
- אֶֽעֱלֶ֥ה (ʾeʿeleh) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “I will go up”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s presence ascending among the people.
- בְּקִרְבְּךָ֖ (bekirbekha) – Root: קרב (q-r-b); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “In your midst”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s presence.
- וְכִלִּיתִ֑יךָ (vekillitikha) – Root: כלה (k-l-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Piel, Perfect, 1cs + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “And I would consume you”; Notes: A warning of potential destruction.
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (veʿattah) – Root: עתה (ʿ-t-h); Form: Conjunction + Adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Introduces the command to remove ornaments.
- הֹורֵ֤ד (horad) – Root: ירד (y-r-d); Form: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Take off”; Notes: Refers to removing ornaments.
- עֶדְיְךָ֙ (ʿedyekha) – Root: עדה (ʿ-d-h); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your ornaments”; Notes: Personal adornments.
- מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ (meʿalekha) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “From yourself”; Notes: Indicates removal.
- וְאֵדְעָ֖ה (veʾedaʿah) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs cohortative; Translation: “And I will know”; Notes: Refers to YHWH deciding what to do.
- מָ֥ה (mah) – Root: מה (m-h); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Indicates uncertainty about future actions.
- אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ (ʾeʿeseh) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “I will do”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s action.
- לָּֽךְ (lakh) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 2ms suffix; Translation: “To you”; Notes: Refers to the people being addressed.