וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלֹ֔ו לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֨עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃
And Pharaoh said, “Who is YHWH, that I should obey His voice to send Yisrael away? I do not know YHWH, nor will I send Yisrael.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperfect with vav consecutive, 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh’s response.
- פַּרְעֹ֔ה (Parʿoh) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: Subject of the verb “said.”
- מִ֤י (mi) – Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Who”; Notes: Introduces the rhetorical question.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name used in Pharaoh’s question.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “That”; Notes: Links the clause to “Who is YHWH.”
- אֶשְׁמַ֣ע (ʾeshmaʿ) – Root: שׁמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Qal imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “I should obey”; Notes: Indicates potential or willingness.
- בְּקֹלֹ֔ו (beqolo) – Root: קול (q-l); Form: Noun, singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “To His voice”; Notes: Refers to the command of YHWH.
- לְשַׁלַּ֖ח (leshallach) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “To send”; Notes: Describes Pharaoh’s potential action.
- אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (et-Yisrael) – Form: Proper noun with direct object marker; Translation: “Yisrael”; Notes: Object of “to send.”
- לֹ֤א (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יָדַ֨עְתִּי֙ (yadaʿti) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Qal perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I know”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh’s ignorance of YHWH.
- אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה (et-YHWH) – Form: Proper noun with direct object marker; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Object of “I know not.”
- וְגַ֥ם (vegam) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Nor”; Notes: Adds to Pharaoh’s rejection.
- אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (et-Yisrael) – Form: Proper noun with direct object marker; Translation: “Yisrael”; Notes: Object of the next verb.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the action “will send.”
- אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ (ʾashalleach) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Piel imperfect, 1cs; Translation: “I will send”; Notes: Pharaoh’s refusal to act.