וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֜ה וַיָּ֣שָׁב אֶל־יֶ֣תֶר חֹֽתְנֹ֗ו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לֹו֙ אֵ֣לְכָה נָּ֗א וְאָשׁ֨וּבָה֙ אֶל־אַחַ֣י אֲשֶׁר־בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה הַעֹודָ֣ם חַיִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יִתְרֹ֛ו לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה לֵ֥ךְ לְשָׁלֹֽום׃
And Moshe went and returned to Yeter his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me go now and return to my brothers who are in Mitsrayim and see if they are still alive.” And Yitro said to Moshe, “Go in peace.”
Morphology
- וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ (vayyelek) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Form: Qal, wayyiqtol (past narrative), 3ms; Translation: “And he went”; Notes: Describes Moshe’s action of setting out.
- מֹשֶׁ֜ה (Moshe) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: The subject of the narrative.
- וַיָּ֣שָׁב (vayyashav) – Root: שׁוב (sh-v-b); Form: Qal, wayyiqtol (past narrative), 3ms; Translation: “And he returned”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s return to his father-in-law.
- אֶל־יֶ֣תֶר (el-Yeter) – Root: יתר (y-t-r); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “To Yeter”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s father-in-law.
- חֹֽתְנֹ֗ו (ḥotno) – Root: חתן (ḥ-t-n); Form: Noun, singular, masculine with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His father-in-law”; Notes: Clarifies Yeter’s relationship to Moshe.
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לֹו֙ (vayomer lo) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal, wayyiqtol (past narrative), 3ms; Translation: “And he said to him”; Notes: Marks direct speech.
- אֵ֣לְכָה נָּ֗א (elekha na) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Form: Cohortative, 1cs; Translation: “Let me go now”; Notes: Expresses Moshe’s request.
- וְאָשׁ֨וּבָה (veʾashuvah) – Root: שׁוב (sh-v-b); Form: Cohortative, 1cs; Translation: “And return”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s intention to return.
- אֶל־אַחַ֣י (el-aḥai) – Root: אח (ʾ-ḥ); Form: Noun, plural, masculine with preposition and 1cs suffix; Translation: “To my brothers”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s fellow Israelites in Egypt.
- אֲשֶׁר־בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם (asher-beMitsrayim) – Root: Relative particle + מצרים (m-ts-r-y-m); Form: Noun, dual, proper name with preposition; Translation: “Who are in Egypt”; Notes: Specifies their location.
- וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה (veʾerʾeh) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Qal, cohortative, 1cs; Translation: “And see”; Notes: Expresses Moshe’s desire to observe their condition.
- הַעֹודָ֣ם (haʿodam) – Root: עוד (ʿ-w-d); Form: Interrogative particle + participle, 3mp with suffix; Translation: “If they are still”; Notes: Implies uncertainty about their state.
- חַיִּ֑ים (ḥayyim) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Noun, plural, masculine; Translation: “Alive”; Notes: Completes the query.
- וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal, wayyiqtol (past narrative), 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks Yitro’s response.
- יִתְרֹ֛ו (Yitro) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Yitro”; Notes: Moshe’s father-in-law.
- לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה (leMoshe) – Root: Proper noun with preposition; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “To Moshe”; Notes: Specifies the addressee.
- לֵ֥ךְ לְשָׁלֹֽום (lekh leshalom) – Root: הלך (h-l-k) + שלום (sh-l-m); Form: Imperative, 2ms + noun; Translation: “Go in peace”; Notes: A customary farewell blessing.