וַיֵּרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָה֙ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָנֹכִ֕י אֱלֹהֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יךָ אַל־תִּירָא֙ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֣ אָנֹ֔כִי וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֨יךָ֙ וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֔ בַּעֲב֖וּר אַבְרָהָ֥ם עַבְדִּֽי׃
And YHWH appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of Avraham, your father. Do not fear, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your offspring for the sake of Avraham, my servant.”
Morphology
- וַיֵּרָ֨א (vayyera) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Wayyiqtol (preterite), Niphal, 3ms; Translation: “And [he] appeared”; Notes: Describes divine revelation or appearance.
- אֵלָ֤יו (elav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “To him”; Notes: Refers to Yitsḥaq.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (Y-H-W-H); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, the covenant name of God.
- בַּלַּ֣יְלָה (ba-layla) – Root: לילה (l-y-l-h); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “In the night”; Notes: Indicates the time of the event.
- הַה֔וּא (ha-hu) – Root: N/A; Form: Demonstrative pronoun, ms; Translation: “That”; Notes: Specifies the particular night.
- וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Wayyiqtol (preterite), Qal, 3ms; Translation: “And [he] said”; Notes: Refers to YHWH speaking.
- אָנֹכִ֕י (anochi) – Root: N/A; Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I [am]”; Notes: Emphasizes the speaker’s identity.
- אֱלֹהֵ֖י (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, construct, mp; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Indicates a relationship.
- אַבְרָהָ֣ם (Avraham) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avraham”; Notes: The name of the patriarch.
- אָבִ֑יךָ (avikha) – Root: אב (ʾ-v); Form: Noun, ms with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your father”; Notes: Refers to Yitsḥaq’s ancestral connection.
- אַל־תִּירָא֙ (ʾal-tira) – Root: ירא (y-r-ʾ); Form: Negative particle + Qal Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “Do not fear”; Notes: A reassurance from YHWH.
- כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֣ (ki-ittekha) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Conjunction + preposition with 2ms suffix; Translation: “For I am with you”; Notes: Assurance of divine presence.
- וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֨יךָ֙ (uverakhtikha) – Root: ברך (b-r-k); Form: Conjunction + Piel Perfect, 1cs with 2ms suffix; Translation: “And I will bless you”; Notes: Promise of blessing.
- וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י (vehirbeti) – Root: רבה (r-b-h); Form: Conjunction + Hiphil Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “And I will multiply”; Notes: Indicates a significant increase.
- אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֔ (ʾet-zarʿakha) – Root: זרע (z-r-ʿ); Form: Direct object marker + noun, ms with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your offspring”; Notes: Refers to Yitsḥaq’s descendants.
- בַּעֲב֖וּר (baʿavur) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Preposition; Translation: “For the sake of”; Notes: Expresses the reason or purpose.
- אַבְרָהָ֥ם (Avraham) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avraham”; Notes: Reiterates the patriarch’s name.
- עַבְדִּֽי (avdi) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Noun, ms with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My servant”; Notes: Designates Avraham’s relationship to YHWH.
Morphological Analysis
1. וַיֵּרָ֨א (vayyērā) – Root: ראה, Form: Wayyiqtol (3ms, sequential past tense, Niphal), Translation: “and appeared”
Parsing details: Niphal (passive/reflexive form).
2. אֵלָ֤יו (ʾēlāw) – Root: אל, Form: Preposition with pronominal suffix (3ms), Translation: “to him”
3. יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה, Form: Proper noun, Translation: “the LORD”
4. בַּלַּ֣יְלָה (ballaylāh) – Root: לילה, Form: Noun with definite article, Translation: “in the night”
Parsing details: Masculine singular, definite.
5. הַה֔וּא (hāhū) – Root: הוא, Form: Demonstrative pronoun, Translation: “that”
6. וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר, Form: Wayyiqtol (3ms, sequential past tense), Translation: “and he said”
7. אָנֹכִ֕י (ʾānōḵī) – Root: אנכי, Form: Pronoun, Translation: “I am”
8. אֱלֹהֵ֖י (ʾĕlōhē) – Root: אלהים, Form: Noun (construct), Translation: “the God of”
9. אַבְרָהָ֣ם (ʾaḇrāhām) – Root: אברהם, Form: Proper noun, Translation: “Abraham”
10. אָבִ֑יךָ (ʾāviḵā) – Root: אב, Form: Noun with pronominal suffix (2ms), Translation: “your father”
11. אַל־ (ʾal-) – Root: לא, Form: Negative particle, Translation: “do not”
12. תִּירָא֙ (tīrā) – Root: ירא, Form: Qal imperfect (2ms), Translation: “fear”
13. כִּֽי־ (kī-) – Root: כי, Form: Conjunction, Translation: “for”
14. אִתְּךָ֣ (ʾittekha) – Root: את, Form: Preposition with pronominal suffix (2ms), Translation: “with you”
15. אָנֹ֔כִי (ʾānōḵī) – Root: אנכי, Form: Pronoun, Translation: “I am”
16. וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֨יךָ֙ (ūvērakhtīkha) – Root: ברך, Form: Conjunctive Qal perfect (1cs) with pronominal suffix (2ms), Translation: “and I will bless you”
17. וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י (wəhirbētī) – Root: רבה, Form: Conjunctive Hiphil perfect (1cs), Translation: “and I will multiply”
Usage notes: Hiphil indicates a causative action.
18. אֶֽת־ (ʾet-) – Root: את, Form: Direct object marker, Translation: “[sign of the direct object]”
19. זַרְעֲךָ֔ (zarʿăkha) – Root: זרע, Form: Noun with pronominal suffix (2ms), Translation: “your descendants”
20. בַּעֲב֖וּר (baʿăvūr) – Root: עבור, Form: Preposition, Translation: “for the sake of”
21. אַבְרָהָ֥ם (ʾaḇrāhām) – Root: אברהם, Form: Proper noun, Translation: “Abraham”
22. עַבְדִּֽי (ʿavdī) – Root: עבד, Form: Noun with pronominal suffix (1cs), Translation: “my servant”