וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֗ה לָג֣וּר בָּאָרֶץ֮ בָּאנוּ֒ כִּי־אֵ֣ין מִרְעֶ֗ה לַצֹּאן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵֽשְׁבוּ־נָ֥א עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ בְּאֶ֥רֶץ גֹּֽשֶׁן׃
And they said to Par’o, “We have come to sojourn in the land, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, for the famine is severe in the land of Kena’an. Now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (vayyo’meru) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s brothers speaking to Pharaoh.
- אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֗ה (el-Phar’oh) – Form: Preposition with proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “to Pharaoh”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of their speech.
- לָג֣וּר (lagur) – Root: גור (gur); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to sojourn”; Notes: Indicates their intent to temporarily live in Egypt.
- בָּאָרֶץ֮ (ba-aretz) – Root: ארץ (eretz); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the land”; Notes: Refers to the land of Egypt.
- בָּאנוּ֒ (ba’nu) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cp; Translation: “we have come”; Notes: Describes their arrival.
- כִּי־אֵ֣ין (ki-ein) – Form: Conjunction with negative particle; Translation: “because there is no”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their sojourning.
- מִרְעֶ֗ה (mir’eh) – Root: רעה (ra’ah); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “pasture”; Notes: Refers to grazing land for livestock.
- לַצֹּאן֙ (la-tzon) – Root: צאן (tzon); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “for the flocks”; Notes: Refers to their sheep.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ (la-avadeikha) – Root: עבד (avad); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “of your servants”; Notes: Refers to the brothers as Pharaoh’s servants.
- כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד (ki-kaved) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Conjunction with adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “for it is severe”; Notes: Describes the intensity of the famine.
- הָרָעָ֖ב (ha-ra’av) – Root: רעב (ra’av); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the famine”; Notes: Refers to the ongoing famine.
- בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (be-eretz) – Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “in the land of”; Notes: Specifies location.
- כְּנָ֑עַן (Kena’an) – Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Kena’an”; Notes: Refers to the land of Canaan.
- וְעַתָּ֛ה (ve-atah) – Form: Conjunction with adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Indicates the present moment.
- יֵֽשְׁבוּ־נָ֥א (yeshvu-na) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp with paragogic nun; Translation: “please let them dwell”; Notes: Expresses a polite request.
- עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ (avadeikha) – Root: עבד (avad); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your servants”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s brothers.
- בְּאֶ֥רֶץ (be-eretz) – Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “in the land of”; Notes: Specifies location.
- גֹּֽשֶׁן׃ (Goshen) – Form: Proper noun, feminine singular; Translation: “Goshen”; Notes: Refers to the region in Egypt.