וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֤ם יֹוסֵף֙ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י זֹ֥את עֲשׂ֖וּ וִֽחְי֑וּ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יָרֵֽא׃
And Yosef said to them on the third day, “Do this, and you will live; I fear God.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אָמַר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Yosef speaking to his brothers.
- אֲלֵהֶ֤ם (alehem) – Root: אֶל (el); Form: Preposition with 3mp suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the recipients of Yosef’s speech.
- יֹוסֵף֙ (Yosef) – Root: יֹוסֵף (Yosef); Form: Proper noun, ms; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: Refers to Yosef, the speaker.
- בַּיֹּ֣ום (bayom) – Root: יֹום (yom); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Specifies the timing of Yosef’s statement.
- הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י (hashlishi) – Root: שָׁלִישׁ (shalish); Form: Adjective, ordinal, ms; Translation: “the third”; Notes: Modifies “day,” indicating the specific day.
- זֹ֥את (zot) – Root: זֶה (zeh); Form: Pronoun, fs; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the specific action Yosef is instructing.
- עֲשׂ֖וּ (asu) – Root: עָשָׂה (asah); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “do”; Notes: Command from Yosef to his brothers.
- וִֽחְי֑וּ (vichyhu) – Root: חָיָה (chayah); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “and you will live”; Notes: Promises life upon their obedience.
- אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (et-haElohim) – Root: אֱלֹהִים (Elohim); Form: Noun, mp with definite article; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the deity whom Yosef fears.
- אֲנִ֥י (ani) – Root: אָנֹכִי (anokhi); Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to Yosef as the subject.
- יָרֵֽא (yare) – Root: יָרֵא (yare); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, ms; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Expresses Yosef’s reverence for God.