וַיֹּ֡אמֶר אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ אֲדֹנָ֔י יֵֽלֶךְ־נָ֥א אֲדֹנָ֖י בְּקִרְבֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֤י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֨רֶף֙ ה֔וּא וְסָלַחְתָּ֛ לַעֲוֹנֵ֥נוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵ֖נוּ וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ׃
And he said, “If I have now found favor in Your eyes, my Lord, let my Lord go among us, for it is a stiff-necked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֡אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms, with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks the beginning of Moshe’s plea.
- אִם־נָא֩ (im-na) – Root: אם (ʾ-m); Form: Conditional particle + entreaty particle; Translation: “If now”; Notes: Expresses a humble request.
- מָצָ֨אתִי (matsati) – Root: מצא (m-ts-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I have found”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s acknowledgment of finding favor.
- חֵ֤ן (ḥen) – Root: חן (ḥ-n); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Favor”; Notes: Refers to grace or approval.
- בְּעֵינֶ֨יךָ (be’einekha) – Root: עין (ʿ-y-n); Form: Noun, feminine dual construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “In Your eyes”; Notes: A common biblical idiom for approval.
- אֲדֹנָ֔י (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾ-d-n); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “My Lord”; Notes: A respectful address to YHWH.
- יֵֽלֶךְ־נָ֥א (yelekh-na) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms, with entreaty particle; Translation: “Let Him go”; Notes: A request for YHWH’s continued presence.
- בְּקִרְבֵּ֑נוּ (beqirbenu) – Root: קרב (q-r-b); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “Among us”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s indwelling presence.
- כִּ֤י (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a reason or explanation.
- עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֨רֶף֙ (ʿam-qeshe-oref) – 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: Describes Yisra’el’s obstinacy.
- וְסָלַחְתָּ֛ (vesalakhta) – Root: סלח (s-l-ḥ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2ms; Translation: “And pardon”; Notes: A plea for forgiveness.
- לַעֲוֹנֵ֥נוּ (laʿavonenu) – Root: עון (ʿ-v-n); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “Our iniquity”; Notes: Refers to moral wrongdoing.
- וּלְחַטָּאתֵ֖נוּ (uleḥattatenu) – Root: חטא (ḥ-t-ʾ); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “And our sin”; Notes: Acknowledges the collective transgression.
- וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ (unḥal’tanu) – Root: נחל (n-ḥ-l); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2ms with 1cp suffix; Translation: “And take us as Your inheritance”; Notes: Suggests a covenantal relationship.