וַנֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לָרֶ֑דֶת אִם־יֵשׁ֩ אָחִ֨ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֤ן אִתָּ֨נוּ֙ וְיָרַ֔דְנוּ כִּי־לֹ֣א נוּכַ֗ל לִרְאֹות֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ וְאָחִ֥ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֖ן אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אִתָּֽנוּ׃
And we said, “We cannot go down unless our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.”
Morphology
- וַנֹּ֕אמֶר (vanomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “And we said”; Notes: The statement made by the brothers.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the ability to go down.
- נוּכַ֖ל (nukhal) – Root: יכול (yakhol); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “we can”; Notes: Expresses the inability of the brothers.
- לָרֶ֑דֶת (laredet) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “to go down”; Notes: Describes the action of descending to Egypt.
- אִם־יֵשׁ֩ (im-yesh) – Root: יֵשׁ (yesh); Form: Particle of existence with conditional “if”; Translation: “if there is”; Notes: Indicates a condition for their journey.
- אָחִ֨ינוּ (aḥinu) – Root: אָח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cp suffix; Translation: “our brother”; Notes: Refers to their younger brother, essential for their journey.
- הַקָּטֹ֤ן (haqaton) – Root: קטן (katan); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “the youngest”; Notes: Specifies the brother as the youngest.
- אִתָּ֨נוּ֙ (ittanu) – Root: אֵת (et); Form: Preposition with 1cp suffix; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Indicates the presence of the brother with them.
- וְיָרַ֔דְנוּ (veyaradnu) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “then we will go down”; Notes: Contingent action based on the condition.
- כִּי־לֹ֣א (ki-lo) – Form: Conjunction with negative particle; Translation: “for we cannot”; Notes: Reason for the condition stated.
- נוּכַ֗ל (nukhal) – Root: יכול (yakhol); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “we can”; Notes: Reinforces inability.
- לִרְאֹות֙ (lir’ot) – Root: ראה (ra’ah); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “to see”; Notes: Describes the act of meeting or seeing the man.
- פְּנֵ֣י (penei) – Root: פָּנִים (panim); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the face of”; Notes: Refers to the man’s face as a figure of meeting.
- הָאִ֔ישׁ (ha’ish) – Root: אִישׁ (ish); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Refers to the official they need to meet.
- וְאָחִ֥ינוּ (veaḥinu) – Root: אָח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cp suffix; Translation: “and our brother”; Notes: Reference to the youngest brother again.
- הַקָּטֹ֖ן (haqaton) – Root: קטן (katan); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “the youngest”; Notes: Specifies the younger brother’s role.
- אֵינֶ֥נּוּ (einenu) – Root: אַיִן (ayin); Form: Negative existential particle with 3ms suffix; Translation: “is not”; Notes: Indicates the absence of the youngest brother.
- אִתָּֽנוּ (ittanu) – Root: אֵת (et); Form: Preposition with 1cp suffix; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Emphasizes the required presence of the brother.