וַיְצַוּ֕וּ אֶל־יֹוסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר אָבִ֣יךָ צִוָּ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י מֹותֹ֖ו לֵאמֹֽר׃
And they commanded Yosef, saying, “Your father commanded before his death, saying:
Morphology
- וַיְצַוּ֕וּ (vayetsavvu) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Verb, Piel, Wayyiqtol, 3mp; Translation: “And they commanded”; Notes: The brothers are issuing a directive to Yosef. The verb וַיְצַוּ֕וּ (Piel, wayyiqtol, 3mp) literally means “and they commanded” or “and they instructed.” However, in this scenario, the “command” could involve directing others to convey their plea, implying an act of sending a message rather than directly addressing Yosef themselves. The verb צוה (tsavah) in Biblical Hebrew often refers to giving orders or instructions, particularly to someone who is then expected to carry them out. In this context, the brothers “commanded” or “instructed” someone—likely a messenger or intermediary—to speak to Yosef on their behalf. In ancient Near Eastern culture, it was common to send messages via intermediaries, especially in situations of hierarchy or potential conflict. The brothers, fearing Yosef’s authority as a high-ranking Egyptian official, may have been too intimidated to speak directly to him and therefore used a messenger. While וַיְצַוּ֕וּ literally means “they commanded” or “they instructed,” the context and cultural practices suggest that the brothers likely conveyed their message indirectly. Translating it as “sent a message” is an interpretive decision aimed at clarifying the narrative for modern readers, though it departs from a word-for-word literal rendering.
- אֶל־יֹוסֵ֖ף (ʾel-Yosef) – Root: אל (ʾel) + יסף (Yosef); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Yosef”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the command.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Verb, Qal, infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the direct speech.
- אָבִ֣יךָ (avikha) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your father”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- צִוָּ֔ה (tsivah) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Verb, Piel, perfect, 3ms; Translation: “commanded”; Notes: Indicates Yaʿaqov’s instruction before his death.
- לִפְנֵ֥י (lifnei) – Root: פני (panim); Form: Preposition with noun in construct; Translation: “before”; Notes: Refers to the timing of Yaʿaqov’s command.
- מֹותֹ֖ו (moto) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his death”; Notes: Indicates the context of the command.
- לֵאמֹֽר׃ (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Verb, Qal, infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Reiterates the introduction of the direct speech.