וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ כֵ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־מַטֵּ֗הוּ לִפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹ֛ה וְלִפְנֵ֥י עֲבָדָ֖יו וַיְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃
And Moshe and Aharon went to Parʿo and did so, just as YHWH commanded. And Aharon threw down his staff before Parʿo and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֹ֨א (vayyavo) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he came”; Notes: Refers to Moshe and Aharon entering Parʿo’s presence.
- מֹשֶׁ֤ה (Moshe) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Name of the prophet.
- וְאַהֲרֹן֙ (ve-Aharon) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “And Aharon”; Notes: Moshe’s brother and spokesman.
- אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה (el-Parʿo) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “To Parʿo”; Notes: Refers to the king of Egypt.
- וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ (vayyaʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they did”; Notes: Refers to their obedience to YHWH’s command.
- כֵ֔ן (ken) – Root: N/A; Form: Adverb; Translation: “So”; Notes: Indicates accordance with instructions.
- כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Just as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison.
- צִוָּ֣ה (tsivvah) – Root: צוה (ts-v-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “He commanded”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s directive.
- יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, the divine name.
- וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ (vayyashlekh) – Root: שלך (sh-l-kh); Form: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he threw down”; Notes: Refers to Aharon’s action with the staff.
- אַהֲרֹ֜ן (Aharon) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Aharon”; Notes: The one performing the act.
- אֶת־מַטֵּ֗הוּ (ʾet-mattehu) – Root: מטה (m-t-h); Form: Direct object marker + noun, ms with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His staff”; Notes: Refers to Aharon’s staff.
- לִפְנֵ֥י (lifnei) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition; Translation: “Before”; Notes: Indicates presence or proximity.
- פַרְעֹ֛ה (Parʿo) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Parʿo”; Notes: The Egyptian king.
- וְלִפְנֵ֥י (velifnei) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “And before”; Notes: Indicates a second audience.
- עֲבָדָ֖יו (ʿavadav) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Noun, mp with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His servants”; Notes: Refers to Parʿo’s officials or attendants.
- וַיְהִ֥י (vayehi) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And it became”; Notes: Indicates transformation.
- לְתַנִּֽין (letannin) – Root: תנין (t-n-n); Form: Noun, ms with preposition; Translation: “A serpent”; Notes: Symbolizes divine power and authority.