כֹּֽה־תֹאמְר֣וּ לְיֹוסֵ֗ף אָ֣נָּ֡א שָׂ֣א נָ֠א פֶּ֣שַׁע אַחֶ֤יךָ וְחַטָּאתָם֙ כִּי־רָעָ֣ה גְמָל֔וּךָ וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א נָ֔א לְפֶ֥שַׁע עַבְדֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ יֹוסֵ֖ף בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו׃
“Thus you shall say to Yosef, ‘Please, forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they treated you badly. And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.'” And Yosef wept when they spoke to him.
Morphology
- כֹּֽה־תֹאמְר֣וּ (ko-toʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “Thus you shall say”; Notes: Instruction given to Yosef’s brothers.
- לְיֹוסֵ֗ף (le-Yosef) – Root: יסף (Yosef); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “to Yosef”; Notes: Directs the statement to Yosef.
- אָ֣נָּ֡א (ʾanna) – Root: Interjection; Form: Plea particle; Translation: “Please”; Notes: Expresses urgency or entreaty.
- שָׂ֣א נָ֠א (saʾ na) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, imperative, 2ms with entreaty particle; Translation: “Forgive, please”; Notes: A plea for forgiveness.
- פֶּ֣שַׁע (peshaʿ) – Root: פשׁע (peshaʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “transgression”; Notes: Refers to a serious offense.
- אַחֶ֤יךָ (aḥekha) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your brothers”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s siblings.
- וְחַטָּאתָם֙ (veḥattatam) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 3mp suffix; Translation: “and their sin”; Notes: The wrongdoing of Yosef’s brothers.
- כִּי־רָעָ֣ה (ki-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿ); Form: Conjunction with adjective, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “for they treated badly”; Notes: Explains the reason for the plea.
- גָּמַ֔לּוּךָ (gamalukha) – Root: גמל (gamal); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, 3mp with 2ms suffix; Translation: “they treated you”; Notes: Refers to Yosef’s mistreatment.
- וְעַתָּה֙ (veʿattah) – Root: Adverb; Form: Temporal particle; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Marks a shift in time.
- שָׂ֣א נָ֔א (saʾ na) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, imperative, 2ms with entreaty particle; Translation: “Please forgive”; Notes: A repeated plea for mercy.
- לְפֶ֥שַׁע (le-peshaʿ) – Root: פשׁע (peshaʿ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “the transgression”; Notes: Specific reference to their wrongdoing.
- עַבְדֵ֖י (ʿavdei) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the servants of”; Notes: Describes their relationship to God.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (Elohei) – Root: אלוה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the God of”; Notes: Refers to the deity they serve.
- אָבִ֑יךָ (avikha) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your father”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ (vayyivk) – Root: בכה (bakhah); Form: Verb, Qal, Wayyiqtol, 3ms; Translation: “And he wept”; Notes: Yosef’s emotional response.
- יֹוסֵ֖ף (Yosef) – Root: יסף (Yosef); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: The central figure in the narrative.
- בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם (bedabram) – Root: דבר (dabar); Form: Verb, Piel, infinitive construct with 3mp suffix; Translation: “when they spoke”; Notes: Describes the action of the brothers.
- אֵלָֽיו׃ (elav) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Indicates Yosef as the recipient of their words.