וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם יֵ֧רֶא יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וְיִשְׁפֹּ֑ט אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־רֵיחֵ֗נוּ בְּעֵינֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ וּבְעֵינֵ֣י עֲבָדָ֔יו לָֽתֶת־חֶ֥רֶב בְּיָדָ֖ם לְהָרְגֵֽנוּ׃
And they said to them, “May YHWH look upon you and judge, for you have made our aroma offensive in the sight of Parʿo and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (vayyomru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperfect, 3mp with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Indicates a direct speech.
- אֲלֵהֶ֔ם (alehem) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition with 3mp suffix; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to Moshe and Aharon.
- יֵ֧רֶא (yereʾ) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Qal imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “May [He] look”; Notes: Expresses a wish or supplication.
- יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the covenant name of God.
- עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (ʿalekhem) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition with 2mp suffix; Translation: “Upon you”; Notes: Indicates the object of divine attention.
- וְיִשְׁפֹּ֑ט (veyishpot) – Root: שׁפט (sh-p-t); Form: Qal imperfect, 3ms with vav-conjunction; Translation: “And judge”; Notes: A continuation of the plea.
- אֲשֶׁ֧ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “That”; Notes: Introduces a clause explaining the reason.
- הִבְאַשְׁתֶּ֣ם (hivʾashtem) – Root: באש (b-ʾ-sh); Form: Hifil perfect, 2mp; Translation: “You have made offensive”; Notes: Causative form indicating their action.
- אֶת־רֵיחֵ֗נוּ (et-reichenu) – Root: ריח (r-y-ḥ); Form: Noun with 1cp suffix; Translation: “Our aroma”; Notes: Metaphor for reputation or standing.
- בְּעֵינֵ֤י (beʿinei) – Root: עין (ʿ-y-n); Form: Noun in construct; Translation: “In the sight of”; Notes: Indicates perspective.
- פַרְעֹ֙ה (Parʿo) – Root: פרעה (P-r-ʿ-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Parʿo”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptian king.
- וּבְעֵינֵ֣י (uveʿinei) – Root: עין (ʿ-y-n); Form: Noun in construct with conjunction; Translation: “And in the sight of”; Notes: Continues the perspective.
- עֲבָדָ֔יו (ʿavadav) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His servants”; Notes: Refers to Parʿo’s officials.
- לָֽתֶת־חֶ֥רֶב (latet-ḥerev) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Infinitive construct with object; Translation: “To put a sword”; Notes: Indicates the consequence of their action.
- בְּיָדָ֖ם (beyadam) – Root: יד (y-d); Form: Noun with 3mp suffix; Translation: “In their hand”; Notes: Refers to the power given to Parʿo’s servants.
- לְהָרְגֵֽנוּ (leharʿgenu) – Root: הרג (h-r-g); Form: Infinitive construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “To kill us”; Notes: Expresses the dire result feared by the people.