וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָנֹכִ֥י הָאֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אַל־תִּירָא֙ מֵרְדָ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יְמָה כִּֽי־לְגֹ֥וי גָּדֹ֖ול אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֥ שָֽׁם׃
And He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Mitsrayim, for I will make you into a great nation there.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces YHWH’s direct speech.
- אָנֹכִי (anokhi) – Root: אנכ (ʾanokh); Form: Independent pronoun 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic form of “I.”
- הָאֵל (ha-el) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the God”; Notes: Title of deity emphasizing identity.
- אֱלֹהֵי (elohei) – Root: אלוה (eloah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct linked to “your father.”
- אָבִיךָ (avikha) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2ms; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov’s ancestor.
- אַל (ʾal) – Root: אל (ʾal); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Used for prohibitions.
- תִּירָא (tira) – Root: ירא (yaraʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Command expressing reassurance.
- מֵרְדָה (me-redah) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Preposition מִן + infinitive construct; Translation: “to go down”; Notes: “From going down,” idiomatic for “to go down.”
- מִצְרַיְמָה (Mitsraymah) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Proper noun with directional ה; Translation: “to Mitsrayim”; Notes: Directional ending indicates movement toward the land.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives reason for reassurance.
- לְגֹוי (le-goy) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “into a nation”; Notes: Indicates transformation into a national entity.
- גָּדֹול (gadol) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “great”; Notes: Emphasizes the scale of the nation to come.
- אֲשִׂימְךָ (asimkha) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperfect 1cs + suffix 2ms; Translation: “I will make you”; Notes: Declares YHWH’s future action.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers specifically to Mitsrayim as the place of becoming a great nation.