וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֣ם עִם־יְהוָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֹום֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים׃
And he was there with YHWH forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, nor did he drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words.
Morphology
- וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֣ם (vayhi-sham) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Wayyiqtol, 3ms; Translation: “And he was there”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s presence with YHWH.
- עִם־יְהוָ֗ה (ʿim-YHWH) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + Proper noun; Translation: “With YHWH”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s communion with YHWH.
- אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יֹום֙ (arbaʿim yom) – Root: ארבע (ʾ-r-b-ʿ); Form: Numeral + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Forty days”; Notes: Specifies the duration of Moshe’s stay.
- וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה (ve-arbaʿim laylah) – Root: ארבע (ʾ-r-b-ʿ) + ליל (l-y-l); Form: Conjunction + Numeral + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “And forty nights”; Notes: Completes the time span.
- לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל (leḥem lo akhal) – Root: אכל (ʾ-k-l); Form: Noun + Negation + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “He did not eat bread”; Notes: Highlights Moshe’s fasting.
- וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה (u-mayim lo shatah) – Root: שתה (sh-t-h); Form: Conjunction + Noun + Negation + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Nor did he drink water”; Notes: Emphasizes Moshe’s abstinence.
- וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב (vayikhtov) – Root: כתב (k-t-v); Form: Verb, Qal, Wayyiqtol, 3ms; Translation: “And He wrote”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s action.
- עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת (ʿal-halluḥot) – Root: לוח (l-w-ḥ); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural definite; Translation: “On the tablets”; Notes: Indicates the medium of writing.
- אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י (et divrei) – Root: דבר (d-v-r); Form: Definite direct object marker + Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “The words of”; Notes: Refers to the covenant.
- הַבְּרִ֔ית (habberit) – Root: ברית (b-r-y-t); Form: Noun, feminine singular definite; Translation: “The covenant”; Notes: Specifies the divine agreement.
- עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים (ʿaseret haddevarim) – Root: עשר (ʿ-s-r) + דבר (d-v-r); Form: Numeral + Noun, masculine plural definite; Translation: “The Ten Words”; Notes: Refers to the Ten Commandments.