וַיְמָאֵ֣ן אָבִ֗יו וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי בְנִי֙ יָדַ֔עְתִּי גַּם־ה֥וּא יִהְיֶה־לְּעָ֖ם וְגַם־ה֣וּא יִגְדָּ֑ל וְאוּלָ֗ם אָחִ֤יו הַקָּטֹן֙ יִגְדַּ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְזַרְעֹ֖ו יִהְיֶ֥ה מְלֹֽא־הַגֹּויִֽם׃
But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a fullness of nations.”
Morphology
- וַיְמָאֵ֣ן (vayemaʾen) – Root: מאן (maʾan); Form: Verb, Piel, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “But he refused”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s rejection of Yosef’s correction.
- אָבִ֗יו (aviv) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his father”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Verb, Qal, Consecutive Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Marks Yisraʾel’s response.
- יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי (yadati) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I know”; Notes: Emphasizes Yisraʾel’s understanding.
- בְנִי֙ (vni) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my son”; Notes: Direct address to Yosef.
- גַּם־ה֥וּא (gam-hu) – Form: Conjunction with pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “He too”; Notes: Refers to Menasheh.
- יִהְיֶה־לְּעָ֖ם (yihye-leʿam) – Root: היה (haya); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with prepositional phrase; Translation: “shall become a people”; Notes: Refers to Menasheh’s destiny.
- וְגַם־ה֣וּא (ve-gam-hu) – Form: Conjunction with pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “and he too”; Notes: Further emphasizes Menasheh’s greatness.
- יִגְדָּ֑ל (yigdal) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “shall be great”; Notes: Refers to Menasheh’s prominence.
- וְאוּלָ֗ם (ve-ulam) – Form: Conjunction with adverb; Translation: “nevertheless”; Notes: Marks a contrast between the brothers.
- אָחִ֤יו (aḥiv) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his brother”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim.
- הַקָּטֹן֙ (ha-qaton) – Root: קטן (qaton); Form: Adjective, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the younger”; Notes: Describes Ephrayim.
- יִגְדַּ֣ל (yigdal) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “shall be greater”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim surpassing Menasheh.
- מִמֶּ֔נּוּ (mimmenu) – Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “than he”; Notes: Indicates comparison to Menasheh.
- וְזַרְעֹ֖ו (ve-zarʿo) – Root: זרע (zeraʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and his offspring”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim’s descendants.
- יִהְיֶ֥ה (yihye) – Root: היה (haya); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “shall become”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim’s future role.
- מְלֹֽא־הַגֹּויִֽם׃ (melo-hagoyim) – Root: מלא (male); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “a fullness of nations”; Notes: Refers to the multitude of peoples descended from Ephrayim.