כִּי֩ יְדַבֵּ֨ר אֲלֵכֶ֤ם פַּרְעֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנ֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם מֹופֵ֑ת וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֧ח אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֛ וְהַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ לִפְנֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה יְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃
”When Parʿo speaks to you, saying, ‘Provide a sign for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aharon, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Parʿo’; it will become a serpent.”
Morphology
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “When”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- יְדַבֵּ֨ר (yedabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “He speaks”; Notes: Indicates intensive speech or command.
- אֲלֵכֶ֤ם (ʾalekhem) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “To you”; Notes: Refers to Moshe and Aharon.
- פַּרְעֹה֙ (Parʿo) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Parʿo”; Notes: Refers to the king of Egypt.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Infinitive Construct with preposition; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- תְּנ֥וּ (tenu) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “Provide”; Notes: A command to give or present.
- לָכֶ֖ם (lakhem) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “For yourselves”; Notes: Reflexive usage.
- מֹופֵ֑ת (mofet) – Root: מופת (m-w-p-t); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “Sign”; Notes: Refers to a miraculous sign or wonder.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (veʾamarta) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Sequential command.
- אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן (el-Aharon) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “To Aharon”; Notes: Moshe’s brother.
- קַ֧ח (qakh) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Take”; Notes: A directive to act.
- אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֛ (ʾet-mattekha) – Root: מטה (m-t-h); Form: Noun, ms in construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your staff”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s staff.
- וְהַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ (vehashlekh) – Root: שלך (sh-l-kh); Form: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “And throw down”; Notes: Command to cast something down.
- לִפְנֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה (lifnei-Parʿo) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition + noun in construct with proper noun; Translation: “Before Parʿo”; Notes: Indicates the presence of the Egyptian king.
- יְהִ֥י (yehi) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “It will become”; Notes: A declaration of transformation.
- לְתַנִּֽין (letannin) – Root: תנין (t-n-n); Form: Noun, ms with preposition; Translation: “A serpent”; Notes: Can also mean a dragon or a great reptile.