וָאֹמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יךָ שַׁלַּ֤ח אֶת־בְּנִי֙ וְיַֽעַבְדֵ֔נִי וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלְּחֹ֑ו הִנֵּה֙ אָנֹכִ֣י הֹרֵ֔ג אֶת־בִּנְךָ֖ בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃
And I said to you, ‘Release My son that he may serve Me,’ but you refused to release him. Behold, I am about to kill your son, your firstborn.”
Morphology
- וָאֹמַ֣ר (vaʾomar) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperfect with vav consecutive, 1cs; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: Refers to a past declaration by YHWH.
- אֵלֶ֗יךָ (elekha) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Prepositional phrase with 2ms suffix; Translation: “To you”; Notes: Direct address to Pharaoh.
- שַׁלַּ֤ח (shallakh) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Piel imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Release”; Notes: Command to let Israel go.
- אֶת־בְּנִי֙ (et-beni) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, singular, masculine with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My son”; Notes: Refers to Israel as God’s son.
- וְיַֽעַבְדֵ֔נִי (veyaʿavdeni) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Qal imperfect with vav consecutive, 3ms + 1cs suffix; Translation: “That he may serve Me”; Notes: Expresses purpose for the release.
- וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן (vatemaʾen) – Root: מאן (m-ʾ-n); Form: Piel imperfect with vav consecutive, 2ms; Translation: “But you refused”; Notes: Indicates Pharaoh’s disobedience.
- לְשַׁלְּחֹ֑ו (leshalleḥo) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Piel infinitive construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “To release him”; Notes: Complement of Pharaoh’s refusal.
- הִנֵּה֙ (hinneh) – Root: Particle; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Introduces a pronouncement of judgment.
- אָנֹכִ֣י (anokhi) – Root: Pronoun; Form: 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to YHWH Himself.
- הֹרֵ֔ג (horeg) – Root: הרג (h-r-g); Form: Qal participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Am about to kill”; Notes: Indicates impending action.
- אֶת־בִּנְךָ֖ (et-bincha) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, singular, masculine with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your son”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh’s firstborn.
- בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃ (bekhorekha) – Root: בכור (b-k-r); Form: Noun, singular, masculine with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your firstborn”; Notes: Emphasizes the severity of the judgment.