וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יֹוסֵ֤ף אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֲנִ֣י יֹוסֵ֔ף הַעֹ֥וד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֤וּ אֶחָיו֙ לַעֲנֹ֣ות אֹתֹ֔ו כִּ֥י נִבְהֲל֖וּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Refers to Yosef speaking to his brothers.
- יֹוסֵ֤ף (Yosef) – Root: יֹוסֵף (Yosef); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: The speaker, Yosef, reveals himself.
- אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ (el-eḥav) – Root: אָח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with preposition and 3ms suffix; Translation: “to his brothers”; Notes: Indicates Yosef’s direct address to his brothers.
- אֲנִ֣י (ani) – Form: Pronoun, first person singular; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Yosef’s self-identification.
- יֹוסֵ֔ף (Yosef) – Root: יֹוסֵף (Yosef); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: The speaker reveals his identity.
- הַעֹ֥וד (ha’od) – Root: עוד (od); Form: Particle with definite article; Translation: “still”; Notes: Indicates a question about continuity.
- אָבִ֖י (avi) – Root: אָב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s father.
- חָ֑י (chai) – Root: חיה (chayah); Form: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “alive”; Notes: Indicates the state of Yosef’s father.
- וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֤וּ (velo-yakhlu) – Root: יכל (yakhol); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “but they could not”; Notes: Describes the brothers’ inability to respond.
- אֶחָיו֙ (eḥav) – Root: אָח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his brothers”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s siblings.
- לַעֲנֹ֣ות (la’anot) – Root: ענה (anah); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “to answer”; Notes: Refers to their lack of response to Yosef.
- אֹתֹ֔ו (oto) – Root: אֵת (et); Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “him”; Notes: The object of the brothers’ response.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their inability to answer.
- נִבְהֲל֖וּ (nivhalu) – Root: בהל (bahal); Form: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “they were dismayed”; Notes: Describes the brothers’ reaction of shock or alarm.
- מִפָּנָֽיו (mipanav) – Root: פָּנִים (panim); Form: Noun, masculine plural with preposition and 3ms suffix; Translation: “at his presence”; Notes: Refers to their reaction upon realizing Yosef’s identity.