וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־יֵרֵ֥ד בְּנִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אָחִ֨יו מֵ֜ת וְה֧וּא לְבַדֹּ֣ו נִשְׁאָ֗ר וּקְרָאָ֤הוּ אָסֹון֙ בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָ֔הּ וְהֹורַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת־שֵׂיבָתִ֛י בְּיָגֹ֖ון שְׁאֹֽולָה׃
And he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the way in which you go, you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אָמַר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to the speaker, expressing his decision.
- לֹֽא־יֵרֵ֥ד (lo-yered) – Root: יָרַד (yarad); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “shall not go down”; Notes: Denotes a prohibition regarding his son.
- בְּנִ֖י (beni) – Root: בֵּן (ben); Form: Noun, ms with 1cs possessive suffix; Translation: “my son”; Notes: Emphasizes the personal relationship of the speaker with his son.
- עִמָּכֶ֑ם (immakhem) – Root: עִם (im); Form: Preposition with 2mp suffix; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Indicates the intended group for the journey.
- כִּֽי־אָחִ֨יו (ki-achiv) – Root: אָח (ach); Form: Conjunction “for” + noun, ms with 3ms possessive suffix; Translation: “for his brother”; Notes: Expresses the reasoning related to familial connections.
- מֵ֜ת (met) – Root: מוּת (mut); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “is dead”; Notes: Refers to the deceased state of the son’s brother.
- וְה֧וּא (vehu) – Root: הוּא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “and he”; Notes: Refers back to the son in question.
- לְבַדֹּ֣ו (levado) – Root: בָּדָד (badad); Form: Adjective with 3ms suffix; Translation: “alone”; Notes: Stresses the uniqueness of the remaining son.
- נִשְׁאָ֗ר (nish’ar) – Root: שָׁאַר (sha’ar); Form: Verb, Nifal, Participle, ms; Translation: “is left”; Notes: Indicates his status as the sole remaining son.
- וּקְרָאָ֤הוּ (ukra’ahu) – Root: קָרָא (qara); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3fs with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and harm should befall him”; Notes: Used hypothetically regarding a possible disaster.
- אָסֹון֙ (ason) – Root: אָסֹון (ason); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “harm”; Notes: Refers to potential danger on the journey.
- בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ (baderekh) – Root: דֶּרֶךְ (derekh); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “on the way”; Notes: Indicates the path taken by the group.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “in which”; Notes: Refers to the specified way.
- תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָ֔הּ (telekhu-vah) – Root: הָלַךְ (halakh); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2mp with preposition; Translation: “you go”; Notes: Refers to the path of travel.
- וְהֹורַדְתֶּ֧ם (vehoradtem) – Root: יָרַד (yarad); Form: Verb, Hifil, Consecutive Imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “and you would bring down”; Notes: Describes the potential effect on the father.
- אֶת־שֵׂיבָתִ֛י (et-seivati) – Root: שֵׂיבָה (seivah); Form: Noun, fs with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my gray hair”; Notes: A metaphor for Jacob’s age and sorrow.
- בְּיָגֹ֖ון (beyagon) – Root: יָגוֹן (yagon); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “with sorrow”; Notes: Expresses the emotional consequence.
- שְׁאֹֽולָה׃ (sheolah) – Root: שְׁאוֹל (sheol); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “to Sheol”; Notes: Refers to the abode of the dead, symbolizing deep sorrow.