וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו חֲלֹ֣ום חָלַ֔מְנוּ וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹתֹ֑ו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יֹוסֵ֗ף הֲלֹ֤וא לֵֽאלֹהִים֙ פִּתְרֹנִ֔ים סַפְּרוּ־נָ֖א לִֽי׃
And they said to him, “A dream we have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it.” And Yosef said to them, “Are not interpretations for God? Relate, please, to me.”
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיֹּאמְרוּ | va-yomru | “and they said” | Qal wayyiqtol 3mp |
| 2 | אֵלָיו | ʾelav | “to him” | Prep אֶל + suff 3ms |
| 3 | חֲלֹום | ḥalom | “a dream” | N(ms) |
| 4 | חָלַמְנוּ | ḥalamnu | “we have dreamed” | Qal qatal 1cp |
| 5 | וּפֹתֵר | u-foter | “and interpreter” | Conj וְ + Qal participle ms used as noun |
| 6 | אֵין | ʾein | “there is no” | Particle of nonexistence |
| 7 | אֹתֹו | ʾoto | “of it” | Direct object marker + suff 3ms |
| 8 | וַיֹּאמֶר | va-yomer | “and he said” | Qal wayyiqtol 3ms |
| 9 | אֲלֵהֶם | ʾalehem | “to them” | Prep אֶל + suff 3mp |
| 10 | יֹוסֵף | Yosef | “Yosef” | Proper noun |
| 11 | הֲלֹוא | haloʾ | “are not” | Interrogative particle |
| 12 | לֵאלֹהִים | le-Elohim | “for God” | Prep לְ + N(mp form) |
| 13 | פִּתְרֹנִים | pitronim | “interpretations” | N(mp) |
| 14 | סַפְּרוּ־נָא | sapperu-naʾ | “relate please” | Piel imperative mp + particle |
| 15 | לִי | li | “to me” | Prep לְ + suff 1cs |
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְרוּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Introduces the reply of the imprisoned officials to Yosef’s question.
- אֵלָיו (ʾelav) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Yosef as the recipient of their response.
- חֲלֹום (ḥalom) – Root: חלם (ḥ-l-m); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a dream”; Notes: Functions as a cognate accusative with the following verb.
- חָלַמְנוּ (ḥalamnu) – Root: חלם (ḥ-l-m); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Qatal (perfect) 1st person common plural; Translation: “we have dreamed”; Notes: Expresses completed action referring to the dreams experienced during the night.
- וּפֹתֵר (u-foter) – Root: פתר (p-t-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal participle masculine singular used substantivally; Translation: “and interpreter”; Notes: Refers to one capable of explaining or interpreting dreams.
- אֵין (ʾein) – Root: אין (ʾ-y-n); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) / Hollow (weak); Form: Particle of nonexistence; Translation: “there is no”; Notes: Indicates the absence of anyone able to interpret the dream.
- אֹתֹו (ʾoto) – Root: אות (ʾot); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Direct object marker + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “of it”; Notes: Refers back to the dream needing interpretation. In the original Hebrew, the word אֹתֹו (it) at the end of the first sentence creates a sense of lingering anxiety—a problem without a resolution—which Joseph immediately meets with the word לֵאלֹהִים (to God), providing the missing answer.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Binyan: Qal; Form: Conjunction וַ + wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Yosef’s response emphasizing divine authority in interpretation.
- אֲלֵהֶם (ʾalehem) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the two imprisoned officials.
- יֹוסֵף (Yosef) – Root: יסף (y-s-p); Root Type: I-Yod (weak); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: Identifies the speaker who attributes interpretation to Elohim.
- הֲלֹוא (haloʾ) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Root Type: III-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Are not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting an affirmative answer.
- לֵאלֹהִים (le-Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א) (weak); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural form; Translation: “for God”; Notes: Attributes the authority and ability of interpretation to God alone.
- פִּתְרֹנִים (pitronim) – Root: פתר (p-t-r); Root Type: Strong; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “interpretations”; Notes: Refers specifically to explanations or meanings of dreams.
- סַפְּרוּ־נָא (sapperu-naʾ) – Root: ספר (s-p-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Piel imperative masculine plural + particle נָא; Translation: “Relate, please”; Notes: Yosef courteously invites them to recount their dreams.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל (l); Root Type: Strong; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks Yosef as the recipient of the dream narration.