וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃
And she spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The ʿIvri servant whom you brought to us came to me to mock me.”
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַתְּדַבֵּר | va-tedabber | “and she spoke” | Piel wayyiqtol 3fs |
| 2 | אֵלָיו | ʾelav | “to him” | Prep אֶל + suff 3ms |
| 3 | כַּדְּבָרִים | ka-devarim | “according to the words” | Prep כְּ + Def. art. הַ + N(mp) |
| 4 | הָאֵלֶּה | ha-ʾelleh | “these” | Def. art. הַ + dem. pron. mp |
| 5 | לֵאמֹר | leʾmor | “saying” | Prep לְ + Qal infinitive construct |
| 6 | בָּא | baʾ | “came” | Qal perfect 3ms |
| 7 | אֵלַי | ʾelay | “to me” | Prep אֶל + suff 1cs |
| 8 | הָעֶבֶד | ha-ʿeved | “the servant” | Def. art. הַ + N(ms) |
| 9 | הָעִבְרִי | ha-ʿIvri | “the ʿIvri” | Def. art. הַ + gentilic adj. ms |
| 10 | אֲשֶׁר | ʾasher | “whom” | Relative particle |
| 11 | הֵבֵאתָ | heveʾta | “you brought” | Hiphil perfect 2ms |
| 12 | לָּנוּ | lanu | “to us” | Prep לְ + suff 1cp |
| 13 | לְצַחֶק | letsaḥeq | “to mock” | Prep לְ + Piel infinitive construct |
| 14 | בִּי | bi | “at me” | Prep בְּ + suff 1cs |
Morphology
- וַתְּדַבֵּר (va-tedabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Conjunction וַ + Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she spoke”; Notes: Introduces Potiphar’s wife repeating her accusation directly to her husband.
- אֵלָיו (ʾelav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Root Type: Particle; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Potiphar as the recipient of her speech.
- כַּדְּבָרִים (ka-devarim) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Root Type: Strong; Form: Preposition כְּ + definite article הַ + noun masculine plural; Translation: “according to the words”; Notes: Signals that her report follows the same kind of accusation already told to the household men.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-ʾelleh) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural; Form: Definite article הַ + demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Points to the words or claims now being repeated.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾmor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Root Type: I-Guttural; Binyan: Qal; Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the direct content of her accusation.
- בָּא (baʾ) – Root: בוא (b-v-ʾ); Root Type: Hollow / III-Guttural; Binyan: Qal; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “came”; Notes: Describes Yosef’s alleged approach in her accusation.
- אֵלַי (ʾelay) – Root: אל (ʾel); Root Type: Particle; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Presents herself as the target of Yosef’s alleged approach.
- הָעֶבֶד (ha-ʿeved) – Root: עבד (ʿ-b-d); Root Type: I-Guttural; Form: Definite article הַ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the servant”; Notes: Labels Yosef by his social status within the Egyptian household.
- הָעִבְרִי (ha-ʿIvri) – Root: עבר (ʿ-b-r); Root Type: I-Guttural; Form: Definite article הַ + gentilic adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the ʿIvri”; Notes: Ethnic designation used here with accusatory force, emphasizing Yosef’s outsider identity.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Root Type: I-Guttural; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause blaming Potiphar for bringing Yosef into the household.
- הֵבֵאתָ (heveʾta) – Root: בוא (b-v-ʾ); Root Type: Hollow / III-Guttural; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Hiphil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you brought”; Notes: Directly addresses Potiphar and shifts responsibility onto him.
- לָּנוּ (lanu) – Root: ל (le); Root Type: Particle; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Includes the household collectively in her accusation.
- לְצַחֶק (letsaḥeq) – Root: צחק (ts-ḥ-q); Root Type: II-Guttural; Binyan: Piel; Form: Preposition לְ + Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to mock”; Notes: In this context carries a sexual and humiliating accusation.
- בִּי (bi) – Root: ב (be); Root Type: Particle; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “at me”; Notes: Marks Potiphar’s wife as the alleged object of Yosef’s supposed mocking or abuse.