הֵ֠ם יָֽצְא֣וּ אֶת־הָעִיר֮ לֹ֣א הִרְחִיקוּ֒ וְיֹוסֵ֤ף אָמַר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּיתֹ֔ו ק֥וּם רְדֹ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טֹובָֽה׃
They had just left the city and had not gone far when Yosef said to the one over his house, “Get up, pursue the men, and when you catch up to them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?’”
Morphology
- הֵ֠ם (hem) – Root: הֵם (hem); Form: Pronoun, 3mp; Translation: “They”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s brothers.
- יָֽצְא֣וּ (yatz’u) – Root: יָצָא (yatza); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “had left”; Notes: Describes the action of leaving the city.
- אֶת־הָעִיר֮ (et-ha’ir) – Root: עִיר (ir); Form: Noun, fs with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Indicates the location from which they departed.
- לֹ֣א הִרְחִיקוּ֒ (lo hirchiku) – Root: רָחַק (rachak); Form: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “had not gone far”; Notes: Expresses the short distance traveled.
- וְיֹוסֵ֤ף (Veyosef) – Root: יֹוסֵף (Yosef); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: Subject giving the command.
- אָמַר֙ (amar) – Root: אָמַר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “said”; Notes: Describes Yosef’s instruction.
- לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּיתֹ֔ו (la’asher al-beito) – Root: אֲשֶׁר (asher) + בַּיִת (bayit); Form: Relative clause with “asher” + noun in construct; Translation: “to the one over his house”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s household overseer.
- ק֥וּם (kum) – Root: קוּם (kum); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, ms; Translation: “Get up”; Notes: Command for immediate action.
- רְדֹ֖ף (redof) – Root: רָדַף (radaf); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, ms; Translation: “pursue”; Notes: Instruction to follow after the men.
- אַחֲרֵ֣י (acharei) – Root: אַחֲרֵי (acharei); Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates direction or target of pursuit.
- הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים (ha’anashim) – Root: אִישׁ (ish); Form: Noun, mp with definite article; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s brothers.
- וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ (ve’hisagtam) – Root: נָשַׂג (nasag); Form: Verb, Hifil, Consecutive Imperfect, 2ms with 3mp suffix; Translation: “and catch up to them”; Notes: Command to reach the men.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (ve’amarta) – Root: אָמַר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “and say”; Notes: Command to convey a message.
- אֲלֵהֶ֔ם (alehem) – Root: אֵל (el); Form: Preposition with 3mp suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the men as the message’s recipients.
- לָ֛מָּה (lammah) – Root: לָמָּה (lammah); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Initiates the question.
- שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם (shillamtem) – Root: שָׁלַם (shalam); Form: Verb, Piel, Perfect, 2mp; Translation: “have you repaid”; Notes: Emphasizes the act of repayment.
- רָעָ֖ה (ra’ah) – Root: רַע (ra); Form: Noun, fs; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Describes the nature of the repayment.
- תַּ֥חַת (tachat) – Root: תַּחַת (tachat); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in place of”; Notes: Indicates substitution or replacement.
- טֹובָֽה׃ (tovah) – Root: טוֹב (tov); Form: Noun, fs; Translation: “good”; Notes: Refers to the kindness shown by Yosef.