וְאַתֶּ֕ם חֲשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָלַ֖י רָעָ֑ה אֱלֹהִים֙ חֲשָׁבָ֣הּ לְטֹבָ֔ה לְמַ֗עַן עֲשֹׂ֛ה כַּיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה לְהַחֲיֹ֥ת עַם־רָֽב׃
“As for you, you intended evil against me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many people.”
Morphology
- וְאַתֶּ֕ם (veʾattem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Conjunction + Pronoun, 2mp; Translation: “But as for you”; Notes: Shifts focus to the brothers.
- חֲשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם (ḥashavtem) – Root: חשב (ḥashav); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2mp; Translation: “you intended”; Notes: Refers to their deliberate planning.
- עָלַ֖י (ʿalay) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 1cs suffix; Translation: “against me”; Notes: Indicates the target of their intent.
- רָעָ֑ה (raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿa); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Describes the nature of their intent.
- אֱלֹהִים֙ (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾelah); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the divine agent counteracting their intent.
- חֲשָׁבָ֣הּ (ḥashavah) – Root: חשב (ḥashav); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms + 3fs suffix; Translation: “intended it”; Notes: Indicates God’s purpose.
- לְטֹבָ֔ה (letovah) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Preposition + Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “for good”; Notes: Describes the redemptive outcome.
- לְמַ֗עַן (lemaʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order to”; Notes: Introduces the purpose clause.
- עֲשֹׂ֛ה (ʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “to accomplish”; Notes: Explains the divine intention.
- כַּיֹּ֥ום (kayom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “as this day”; Notes: Refers to the present outcome.
- הַזֶּ֖ה (hazzeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative Pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Emphasizes the present moment.
- לְהַחֲיֹ֥ת (lehaḥayot) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Verb, Piel, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “to save alive”; Notes: Describes the purpose of God’s action.
- עַם־רָֽב (ʿam-rav) – Root: עם (ʿam) + רב (rav); Form: Noun, masculine singular + Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “many people”; Notes: Indicates the broad scope of salvation.