לָ֧מָּה נָמ֣וּת לְעֵינֶ֗יךָ גַּם־אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ גַּ֣ם אַדְמָתֵ֔נוּ קְנֵֽה־אֹתָ֥נוּ וְאֶת־אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ בַּלָּ֑חֶם וְנִֽהְיֶ֞ה אֲנַ֤חְנוּ וְאַדְמָתֵ֨נוּ֙ עֲבָדִ֣ים לְפַרְעֹ֔ה וְתֶן־זֶ֗רַע וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א נָמ֔וּת וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה לֹ֥א תֵשָֽׁם׃
Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we, along with our land, will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, so that we may live and not die, and so the land will not become desolate.
Morphology
- לָ֧מָּה (lammah) – Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces the rhetorical question.
- נָמ֣וּת (namut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “should we die”; Notes: Expresses desperation.
- לְעֵינֶ֗יךָ (le-einekha) – Root: עין (ayin); Form: Noun, dual construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “before your eyes”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s observation.
- גַּם־אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ (gam-anachnu) – Form: Particle with pronoun, 1cp; Translation: “both we”; Notes: Refers to the speakers themselves.
- גַּ֣ם אַדְמָתֵ֔נוּ (gam-admatenu) – Root: אדמה (adamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “and our land”; Notes: Refers to their property.
- קְנֵֽה־אֹתָ֥נוּ (qneh-otanu) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms with 1cp suffix; Translation: “Buy us”; Notes: An offer for sale to Yosef.
- וְאֶת־אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ (ve-et-admatenu) – Root: אדמה (adamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 1cp suffix; Translation: “and our land”; Notes: Part of the proposed transaction.
- בַּלָּ֑חֶם (ba-lachem) – Root: לחם (lechem); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “for bread”; Notes: Refers to the exchange item.
- וְנִֽהְיֶ֞ה (venihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “and we will be”; Notes: Indicates their willingness to serve Pharaoh.
- עֲבָדִ֣ים (avadim) – Root: עבד (eved); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “servants”; Notes: Refers to their offer to become servants.
- לְפַרְעֹ֔ה (le-Phar’oh) – Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Pharaoh”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of their service.
- וְתֶן־זֶ֗רַע (ve-ten-zera) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2ms; Translation: “and give seed”; Notes: A request for means to cultivate the land.
- וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ (venichyeh) – Root: חיה (chayah); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “and we may live”; Notes: Expresses their desire for survival.
- וְלֹ֣א נָמ֔וּת (ve-lo namut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cp; Translation: “and not die”; Notes: Contrasts survival with death.
- וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה (ve-ha-adamah) – Root: אדמה (adamah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “and the land”; Notes: Refers to their fields.
- לֹ֥א תֵשָֽׁם׃ (lo teshom) – Root: שם (sham); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3fs; Translation: “will not become desolate”; Notes: Highlights the preservation of the land.