וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ בְּיֹום֙ בָּחֳרִ֣י בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וָאֶשָּׂ֣א יָדִ֗י לְזֶ֨רַע֙ בֵּ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וָאִוָּדַ֥ע לָהֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וָאֶשָּׂ֨א יָדִ֤י לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “In the day I chose Yisraʾel and I lifted up my hand to the offspring of the house of Yaʿaqov and I made myself known to them in the land of Mitsrayim, and I lifted up my hand to them, saying, ‘I am YHWH your God.’
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ – Root: אָמַר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive (sequential command); Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Instruction given to the prophet.
- אֲלֵיהֶם – Root: אֵל; Form: Preposition אֶל + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Marks indirect object of speech.
- כֹּה – Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introduction.
- אָמַר – Root: אָמַר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Formulaic in prophetic speech: “Thus says ….”
- אֲדֹנָי – Root: אָדֹן; Form: Proper title; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Divine title in prophetic formulas.
- יְהוִה – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- בְּיֹום – Root: יֹום; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the day”; Notes: Temporal marker.
- בָּחֳרִי – Root: בָּחַר; Form: Qal infinitive construct with 1cs suffix; Translation: “I chose”; Notes: Expresses specific divine action in time.
- בְיִשְׂרָאֵל – Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל; Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Object of divine choice.
- וָאֶשָּׂא – Root: נָשָׂא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I lifted up”; Notes: Gesture of oath-taking or solemn declaration.
- יָדִי – Root: יָד; Form: Noun feminine singular + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my hand”; Notes: Symbolic gesture of oath.
- לְזֶרַע – Root: זֶרַע; Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the offspring”; Notes: Refers to descendants; indicates lineage and covenant.
- בֵּית – Root: בַּיִת; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Construct with Yaʿaqov.
- יַעֲקֹב – Root: יַעֲקֹב; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yaʿaqov”; Notes: Patriarchal name, representing Israel’s ancestry.
- וָאִוָּדַע – Root: יָדַע; Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I made myself known”; Notes: Passive-reflexive, emphasizes God revealing himself.
- לָהֶם – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Marks the recipients of revelation.
- בְּאֶרֶץ – Root: אֶרֶץ; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the land”; Notes: Locative phrase.
- מִצְרָיִם – Root: מִצְרַיִם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- וָאֶשָּׂא – Root: נָשָׂא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I lifted up”; Notes: Repeated oath gesture for emphasis.
- יָדִי – Root: יָד; Form: Noun feminine singular + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my hand”; Notes: Again, gesture of solemn oath.
- לָהֶם – Form: Preposition לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Reiterates the addressees of the oath.
- לֵאמֹר – Root: אָמַר; Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the divine declaration.
- אֲנִי – Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Subject of the divine self-identification.
- יְהוָה – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker identifies himself by covenant name.
- אֱלֹהֵיכֶם – Root: אֱלֹהִים; Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Covenant identity between YHWH and his people.