וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם אַנְשֵׁ֨י מִקְנֶ֜ה הָי֤וּ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ וְעַד־עַ֔תָּה גַּם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ גַּם־אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ בַּעֲב֗וּר תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ גֹּ֔שֶׁן כִּֽי־תֹועֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם כָּל־רֹ֥עֵה צֹֽאן׃
And you shall say, “Your servants have been men of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers, so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd of sheep is an abomination to Miṣrayim.”
Morphology
- וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם (va-amartem) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Refers to the instructions given to Yosef’s brothers.
- אַנְשֵׁ֨י (anshei) – Root: אישׁ (ish); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “men of”; Notes: Indicates their occupation.
- מִקְנֶ֜ה (mikneh) – Root: קנה (kanah); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “livestock”; Notes: Refers to their livelihood.
- הָי֤וּ (hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “they have been”; Notes: Describes the brothers’ occupation.
- עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ (avadeikha) – Root: עבד (avad); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your servants”; Notes: Refers to their humility before Pharaoh.
- מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ (min-ne’ureinu) – Root: נער (na’ar); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “from our youth”; Notes: Indicates the duration of their occupation.
- וְעַד־עַ֔תָּה (ve-ad-atah) – Form: Conjunction with preposition and adverb; Translation: “even until now”; Notes: Describes continuity.
- גַּם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ (gam-anachnu) – Form: Conjunction with pronoun, 1cp; Translation: “both we”; Notes: Includes the brothers in the statement.
- גַּם־אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ (gam-avoteinu) – Form: Conjunction with noun, masculine plural construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “and our fathers”; Notes: Refers to their ancestors.
- בַּעֲב֗וּר (ba’avur) – Form: Preposition; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Introduces the purpose clause.
- תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ (teshvu) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “you may dwell”; Notes: Refers to their desire to live in Goshen.
- בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (be-eretz) – Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “in the land of”; Notes: Specifies the location.
- גֹּ֔שֶׁן (Goshen) – Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Goshen”; Notes: Refers to the region in Egypt.
- כִּֽי־ (ki-) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the explanation.
- תֹועֲבַ֥ת (to’avat) – Root: תועבה (to’evah); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “an abomination of”; Notes: Describes how shepherds are viewed in Egypt.
- מִצְרַ֖יִם (Miṣrayim) – Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Miṣrayim”; Notes: Refers to Egypt.
- כָּל־ (kol-) – Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “every”; Notes: Refers to the totality of shepherds.
- רֹ֥עֵה (ro’eh) – Root: רעה (ra’ah); Form: Participle, masculine singular construct; Translation: “shepherd of”; Notes: Indicates their occupation.
- צֹֽאן׃ (tzon) – Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “sheep”; Notes: Specifies the type of livestock tended.