וַיַּעַן֩ רְאוּבֵ֨ן אֹתָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר הֲלֹוא֩ אָמַ֨רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֧ם לֵאמֹ֛ר אַל־תֶּחֶטְא֥וּ בַיֶּ֖לֶד וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם וְגַם־דָּמֹ֖ו הִנֵּ֥ה נִדְרָֽשׁ׃
And Reʾuven answered them, saying, “Did I not say to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ but you did not listen? And behold, his blood is now being required.”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן֩ (vayaʿan) – Root: עָנָה (ʿanah); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Indicates Reʾuven’s response to his brothers.
- רְאוּבֵ֨ן (Reʾuven) – Root: רְאוּבֵן (Reʾuven); Form: Proper noun, ms; Translation: “Reʾuven”; Notes: Refers to Reʾuven, one of Yosef’s brothers.
- אֹתָ֜ם (otam) – Root: אֵת (ʾet); Form: Accusative marker + pronoun, 3mp suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Direct object pronoun referring to Reʾuven’s brothers.
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (lemor) – Root: אָמַר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Indicates the content of Reʾuven’s speech.
- הֲלֹוא֩ (halo) – Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Did not”; Notes: Used rhetorically to emphasize the prior warning.
- אָמַ֨רְתִּי (amarti) – Root: אָמַר (ʾamar); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I said”; Notes: Reʾuven recalls his earlier statement.
- אֲלֵיכֶ֧ם (aleikhem) – Root: אֶל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Reʾuven’s direct address to his brothers.
- אַל־תֶּחֶטְא֥וּ (al-techetʾu) – Root: חָטָא (chata); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2mp with negative particle; Translation: “do not sin”; Notes: A command Reʾuven gave regarding Yosef’s safety.
- בַיֶּ֖לֶד (bayeled) – Root: יֶלֶד (yeled); Form: Noun, ms with preposition; Translation: “against the boy”; Notes: Refers to Yosef, whom Reʾuven aimed to protect.
- וְלֹ֣א (velo) – Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “but not”; Notes: Introduces the contrasting action of his brothers.
- שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם (shematem) – Root: שָׁמַע (shama); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2mp; Translation: “you listened”; Notes: Indicates the brothers’ disregard for Reʾuven’s warning.
- וְגַם־ (vegam) – Form: Conjunction + emphatic particle; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Emphasizes the consequence of their action.
- דָּמֹ֖ו (damo) – Root: דָּם (dam); Form: Noun, ms with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his blood”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s blood, symbolizing his life.
- הִנֵּ֥ה (hinneh) – Form: Interjection; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the consequence being faced.
- נִדְרָֽשׁ (nidrash) – Root: דָרַשׁ (darash); Form: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “is now being required”; Notes: Implies the justice or accountability now being demanded.