וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָעִבְרִים֙ שְׁלָחַ֤נִי אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְיַֽעַבְדֻ֖נִי בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְהִנֵּ֥ה לֹא־שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ עַד־כֹּֽה׃
And you shall say to him: ‘YHWH, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Send My people so they may serve Me in the wilderness,” but behold, you have not listened until now.’
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (veʾamarta) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Introduces a direct speech command.
- אֵלָ֗יו (ʾelav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “To him”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh.
- יְהוָ֞ה (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to the God of Israel.
- אֱלֹהֵ֤י (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, construct, mp; Translation: “The God of”; Notes: Indicates possession or affiliation.
- הָעִבְרִים֙ (haʿivrim) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Noun, mp with definite article; Translation: “The Hebrews”; Notes: Ethnic identifier for the people of Israel.
- שְׁלָחַ֤נִי (shelachani) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Has sent me”; Notes: Indicates divine commissioning.
- אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ (ʾelekha) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “To you”; Notes: Direct address to Pharaoh.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the message.
- שַׁלַּח֙ (shallaḥ) – Root: שלח (sh-l-ḥ); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Send”; Notes: A command to release.
- אֶת־עַמִּ֔י (ʾet-ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun, ms + 1cs suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- וְיַֽעַבְדֻ֖נִי (veyaʿavduni) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp + 1cs suffix; Translation: “That they may serve Me”; Notes: Indicates worship or service to God.
- בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר (bamidbar) – Root: מדבר (m-d-b-r); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “In the wilderness”; Notes: Refers to the desert region.
- וְהִנֵּ֥ה (vehinne) – Root: נה (n-h); Form: Interjection; Translation: “But behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the following statement.
- לֹא־שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ (lo-shamaʿta) – Root: שמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2ms; Translation: “You have not listened”; Notes: Indicates disobedience or refusal.
- עַד־כֹּֽה׃ (ʿad-ko) – Root: כאן (k-n); Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “Until now”; Notes: Emphasizes the persistence of Pharaoh’s disobedience.