וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃
And Moshe spoke before YHWH, saying, “Behold, the children of Yisra’el have not listened to me; how then shall Parʿo listen to me, since I am of uncircumcised lips?”
Morphology
- וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (vayedabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Piel imperfect, 3ms, with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he spoke”; Notes: Indicates a continuation of Moshe’s dialogue with YHWH.
- מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: The speaker in this context.
- לִפְנֵ֥י (lifnei) – Root: פני (p-n-y); Form: Preposition with construct; Translation: “Before”; Notes: Indicates Moshe’s position relative to YHWH.
- יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (h-w-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to the divine name.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הֵ֤ן (hen) – Root: הן (h-n); Form: Particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Expresses emphasis or attention.
- בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (benei-Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Construct chain; Translation: “The children of Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Yaʿaqov.
- לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ (lo-shamʿu) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Qal perfect, 3mp; Translation: “Have not listened”; Notes: Refers to the people’s failure to heed Moshe.
- אֵלַ֔י (ʾelai) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition with 1cs suffix; Translation: “To me”; Notes: Emphasizes the personal nature of the address.
- וְאֵיךְ֙ (veʾeikh) – Root: איך (ʾ-y-kh); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “How”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי (yishmaʿeni) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Qal imperfect, 3ms, with 1cs suffix; Translation: “Shall listen to me”; Notes: Predicts Parʿo’s reaction.
- פַרְעֹ֔ה (Parʿo) – Root: פרע (p-r-ʿ); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Parʿo”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptian king.
- וַאֲנִ֖י (vaʾani) – Root: אני (ʾ-n-y); Form: Independent pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “And I”; Notes: Emphasizes Moshe’s self-perception.
- עֲרַ֥ל (ʿaral) – Root: ערל (ʿ-r-l); Form: Adjective, ms; Translation: “Uncircumcised”; Notes: Figurative for inadequacy or unworthiness.
- שְׂפָתָֽיִם (s’fataim) – Root: שפה (s-f-h); Form: Dual noun with plural construct ending; Translation: “Lips”; Notes: Indicates speech impediment or lack of eloquence.