וַיֻּכּ֗וּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣מוּ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם נֹגְשֵׂ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֡וּעַ לֹא֩ כִלִּיתֶ֨ם חָקְכֶ֤ם לִלְבֹּן֙ כִּתְמֹ֣ול שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּם־תְּמֹ֖ול גַּם־הַיֹּֽום׃
And the officers of the children of Yisra’el, whom Parʿo’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not completed your prescribed task in making bricks yesterday and today, as before?”
Morphology
- וַיֻּכּ֗וּ (vayyukku) – Root: נכה (n-k-h); Form: Pual imperfect, 3mp with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they were beaten”; Notes: Indicates passive action upon the officers.
- שֹֽׁטְרֵי֙ (shoterei) – Root: שוטר (sh-w-t-r); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “The officers of”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite supervisors.
- בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (bene Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with proper noun; Translation: “The children of Israel”; Notes: Identifies the group affected.
- אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣מוּ (asher-samu) – Root: שׂים (s-y-m); Form: Qal perfect, 3mp; Translation: “Whom they had set”; Notes: Refers to the appointment by Pharaoh’s taskmasters.
- עֲלֵהֶ֔ם (ʿalehem) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition with 3mp suffix; Translation: “Over them”; Notes: Describes the authority placed on the officers.
- נֹגְשֵׂ֥י (nogesei) – Root: נגשׂ (n-g-s); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “Taskmasters of”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh’s enforcers.
- פַרְעֹ֖ה (Parʿoh) – Root: פרע (p-r-ʿ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: The Egyptian king.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive construct with prefixed preposition; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- מַדּ֡וּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Poses a question.
- לֹא֩ כִלִּיתֶ֨ם (loʾ killitem) – Root: כלה (k-l-h); Form: Piel perfect, 2mp; Translation: “You have not completed”; Notes: Expresses the failure to meet the quota.
- חָקְכֶ֤ם (ḥoqkem) – Root: חק (ḥ-q-q); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your prescribed task”; Notes: Refers to the assigned quota.
- לִלְבֹּן֙ (lilbon) – Root: לבן (l-b-n); Form: Qal infinitive construct with prefixed preposition; Translation: “To make bricks”; Notes: The required task.
- כִּתְמֹ֣ול (kitmol) – Root: תמול (t-m-l); Form: Adverb; Translation: “As before”; Notes: Indicates continuity with prior work.
- שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם (shilshom) – Root: שלש (sh-l-sh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “The day before yesterday”; Notes: Refers to the past.
- גַּם־תְּמֹ֖ול (gam-temol) – Root: גם (g-m) and תמול (t-m-l); Form: Adverbial phrase; Translation: “Also yesterday”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the timeline.
- גַּם־הַיֹּֽום (gam-hayom) – Root: גם (g-m) and יום (y-w-m); Form: Adverbial phrase; Translation: “Also today”; Notes: Highlights the continuing issue.