וָאַ֨עַשׂ֙ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמִ֔י לְבִלְתִּ֥י הֵחֵ֛ל לְעֵינֵ֥י הַגֹּויִ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֣מָּה בְתֹוכָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר נֹודַ֤עְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם֙ לְעֵ֣ינֵיהֶ֔ם לְהֹוצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations among whom they were, before whose eyes I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out from the land of Mitsrayim.
Morphology
- וָאַעַשׂ – Root: עָשָׂה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “But I acted”; Notes: God’s intervention despite Israel’s rebellion.
- לְמַעַן – Form: Preposition; Translation: “for the sake of”; Notes: Introduces purpose or motivation.
- שְׁמִי – Root: שֵׁם; Form: Noun masculine singular + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my name”; Notes: Refers to God’s reputation, honor, and holiness.
- לְבִלְתִּי – Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct of בִּלְתִּי; Translation: “so that not”; Notes: Used to negate an infinitive of purpose.
- הֵחֵל – Root: חָלַל; Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to profane”; Notes: Refers to desecrating God’s holy name.
- לְעֵינֵי – Root: עַיִן; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine dual construct; Translation: “before the eyes of”; Notes: Idiomatic expression of public witness.
- הַגֹּויִם – Root: גּוֹי; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the nations”; Notes: Refers to foreign peoples among whom Israel lived.
- אֲשֶׁר – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who / that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- הֵמָּה – Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Subject of the relative clause.
- בְתוֹכָם – Root: תוֹךְ; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun + 3mp suffix; Translation: “in their midst”; Notes: Denotes location among the nations.
- אֲשֶׁר – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “before whom”; Notes: Introduces second relative clause.
- נֹודַעְתִּי – Root: יָדַע; Form: Niphal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I had made myself known”; Notes: Reflexive-passive, God revealed himself.
- אֲלֵיהֶם – Root: אֵל; Form: Preposition אֶל + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to Israel as recipients of revelation.
- לְעֵינֵיהֶם – Root: עַיִן; Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine dual + 3mp suffix; Translation: “before their eyes”; Notes: Emphasizes open, public revelation.
- לְהֹוצִיאָם – Root: יָצָא; Form: Preposition לְ + Hifil infinitive construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to bring them out”; Notes: Purpose of God’s action.
- מֵאֶרֶץ – Root: אֶרֶץ; Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the land of”; Notes: Marks point of departure.
- מִצְרָיִם – Root: מִצְרַיִם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.