וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו לָ֚מָּה יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲדֹנִ֔י כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה חָלִ֨ילָה֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ מֵעֲשֹׂ֖ות כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
And they said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (vayomru) – Root: אָמַר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Describes the brothers’ response to Yosef’s accusation.
- אֵלָ֔יו (elav) – Root: אֵל (el); Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the addressee, Yosef.
- לָ֚מָּה (lamah) – Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Begins the question directed to Yosef.
- יְדַבֵּ֣ר (yedaber) – Root: דָּבַר (dabar); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “does [he] speak”; Notes: Describes the action Yosef is performing in their question.
- אֲדֹנִ֔י (adoni) – Root: אָדוֹן (adon); Form: Noun, ms with possessive 1cs suffix; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: Refers to Yosef as their superior.
- כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים (kadvarim) – Root: דָּבָר (davar); Form: Noun, mp with comparative prefix; Translation: “such words”; Notes: The accusative form compares Yosef’s words to a certain standard.
- הָאֵ֑לֶּה (ha’eleh) – Root: אֵלֶּה (‘eleh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, mp; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the words being referenced.
- חָלִ֨ילָה֙ (chalilah) – Form: Interjection; Translation: “Far be it”; Notes: Expresses strong disapproval of the idea.
- לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ (la’avadekha) – Root: עֶבֶד (eved); Form: Noun, mp with possessive 2ms suffix; Translation: “to your servants”; Notes: Indicates the brothers speaking on behalf of themselves as Yosef’s servants.
- מֵעֲשֹׂ֖ות (me’asot) – Root: עָשָׂה (asah); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct with preposition; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Expresses the action they deny doing.
- כַּדָּבָ֥ר (kadavar) – Root: דָּבָר (davar); Form: Noun, ms with comparative prefix; Translation: “such a thing”; Notes: Emphasizes the brothers’ rejection of the accusation.
- הַזֶּֽה (hazeh) – Root: זֶה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, ms; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers specifically to the accusation at hand.