וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ אֱמֹר֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן נְטֵ֣ה אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֔ וְהַ֖ךְ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהָיָ֥ה לְכִנִּ֖ם בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And YHWH said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, and it will become gnats throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.’”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to YHWH speaking to Moshe.
- יְהוָה֮ (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The name of the God of Israel.
- אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ (el-Mosheh) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “To Moshe”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of YHWH’s command.
- אֱמֹר֙ (emor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Say”; Notes: A direct command to Moshe.
- אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן (el-Aharon) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “To Aharon”; Notes: Indicates Aharon as the recipient of Moshe’s directive.
- נְטֵ֣ה (nete) – Root: נטה (n-t-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “Stretch out”; Notes: Command to extend the staff.
- אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֔ (et-mattekha) – Root: מטה (m-t-h); Form: Noun, ms with direct object marker and 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your staff”; Notes: Refers to the staff of Aharon.
- וְהַ֖ךְ (ve-hak) – Root: נכה (n-k-h); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “And strike”; Notes: Command to strike with the staff.
- אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר (et-ʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿ-ʿ-p-r); Form: Noun, ms with direct object marker; Translation: “The dust”; Notes: Refers to the soil or fine particles of the ground.
- הָאָ֑רֶץ (ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Noun, fs with definite article; Translation: “Of the land”; Notes: Refers to the land of Egypt.
- וְהָיָ֥ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And it will become”; Notes: Indicates transformation.
- לְכִנִּ֖ם (le-kinnim) – Root: כנה (k-n-n); Form: Noun, fp with preposition; Translation: “Into gnats”; Notes: Describes a type of pest.
- בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ (be-khol-eretz) – Root: כל (k-l) + ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Preposition + noun, fs construct; Translation: “Throughout all the land of”; Notes: Refers to the total area affected.
- מִצְרָֽיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: Indicates the specific geographic location.