וְהָיָ֤ה זַרְעֲךָ֙ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה וָנֶ֑גְבָּה וְנִבְרֲכ֥וּ בְךָ֛ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָ֖ה וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out westward, eastward, northward, and southward. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
Morphology
- וְהָיָ֤ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And it will be”; Notes: Indicates a future state or condition.
- זַרְעֲךָ֙ (zarʿakha) – Root: זרע (z-r-ʿ); Form: Noun, ms construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your offspring”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s descendants.
- כַּעֲפַ֣ר (kaʿafar) – Root: עפר (ʿ-f-r); Form: Noun, ms with prefix כ־; Translation: “Like the dust”; Notes: Denotes countlessness and abundance.
- הָאָ֔רֶץ (haʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Noun, fs with definite article; Translation: “Of the earth”; Notes: The ground or land.
- וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ (u-faratsa) – Root: פרץ (p-r-ts); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And you will spread out”; Notes: Indicates expansion in all directions.
- יָ֥מָּה (yammah) – Root: ים (y-m); Form: Noun, ms with directional ה־; Translation: “Westward”; Notes: Directional marker indicating the west.
- וָקֵ֖דְמָה (va-qedmah) – Root: קדם (q-d-m); Form: Noun, fs with directional ה־; Translation: “Eastward”; Notes: Directional marker indicating the east.
- וְצָפֹ֣נָה (ve-tsafonah) – Root: צפון (ts-p-n); Form: Noun, fs with directional ה־; Translation: “Northward”; Notes: Directional marker indicating the north.
- וָנֶ֑גְבָּה (va-negbah) – Root: נגב (n-g-b); Form: Noun, ms with directional ה־; Translation: “Southward”; Notes: Directional marker indicating the south.
- וְנִבְרֲכ֥וּ (ve-nivrekhu) – Root: ברך (b-r-k); Form: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, 3mp with vav consecutive; Translation: “And will be blessed”; Notes: Indicates a passive blessing.
- בְךָ֛ (bekha) – Root: N/A; Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “Through you”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the source of blessing.
- כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת (kol-mishpeḥot) – Root: משפחה (m-sh-p-ḥ); Form: Noun, fp construct; Translation: “All the families of”; Notes: Refers to the various groups or clans of people.
- הָאֲדָמָ֖ה (haʾadamah) – Root: אדמה (ʾ-d-m-h); Form: Noun, fs with definite article; Translation: “The earth”; Notes: Represents the inhabited world.
- וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃ (u-vzarʿekha) – Root: זרע (z-r-ʿ); Form: Conjunction + noun, ms construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “And through your offspring”; Notes: Extends the blessing to Jacob’s descendants.