וַיַּגִּ֨דוּ לֹ֜ו לֵאמֹ֗ר עֹ֚וד יֹוסֵ֣ף חַ֔י וְכִֽי־ה֥וּא מֹשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיָּ֣פָג לִבֹּ֔ו כִּ֥י לֹא־הֶאֱמִ֖ין לָהֶֽם׃
And they told him, saying, “Yosef is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Mitsrayim.” But his heart grew numb, for he did not believe them.
Morphology
- וַיַּגִּ֨דוּ (vayaggidu) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Verb, Hifil, Consecutive Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “and they told”; Notes: Refers to the brothers reporting to Ya’aqov.
- לֹ֜ו (lo) – Root: לו (lo); Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks Ya’aqov as the recipient of the news.
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (le’emor) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the message.
- עֹ֚וד (od) – Form: Adverb; Translation: “still”; Notes: Indicates that Yosef is still alive.
- יֹוסֵ֣ף (Yosef) – Root: יֹוסֵף (Yosef); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: Refers to Ya’aqov’s son.
- חַ֔י (chai) – Root: חַי (chai); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “alive”; Notes: Declares Yosef’s survival.
- וְכִֽי־ה֥וּא (v’ki-hu) – Root: הוּא (hu); Form: Conjunction with pronoun; Translation: “and he”; Notes: Emphasizes Yosef’s position.
- מֹשֵׁ֖ל (moshel) – Root: משׁל (mashal); Form: Participle, Qal, masculine singular; Translation: “ruler”; Notes: Describes Yosef’s authority in Egypt.
- בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם (b’khol-eretz Mitzrayim) – Root: אֶרֶץ (eretz) / מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with proper noun; Translation: “over all the land of Egypt”; Notes: Specifies the extent of Yosef’s rule.
- וַיָּ֣פָג (vayafag) – Root: פוג (pug); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “and he grew numb”; Notes: Describes Ya’aqov’s stunned reaction.
- לִבֹּ֔ו (libbo) – Root: לֵב (lev); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his heart”; Notes: Refers to Ya’aqov’s inner emotional response.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for Ya’aqov’s reaction.
- לֹא־הֶאֱמִ֖ין (lo-he’emin) – Root: אמן (aman); Form: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, 3ms with negation; Translation: “he did not believe”; Notes: Indicates Ya’aqov’s initial disbelief in the news.
- לָהֶֽם (lahem) – Root: לְ (le); Form: Preposition with 3mp suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to Ya’aqov’s sons as the ones delivering the message.