אָבִ֞י הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי לֵאמֹ֗ר הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִי֮ מֵת֒ בְּקִבְרִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶֽעֱלֶה־נָּ֛א וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־אָבִ֖י וְאָשֽׁוּבָה׃
“My father made me swear, saying, ‘Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Kena‘an, there you shall bury me.’ Now, therefore, let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father, and I will return.”
Morphology
- אָבִ֞י (avi) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “My father”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי (hishbiʿani) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, 3ms + 1cs suffix; Translation: “made me swear”; Notes: Indicates an oath made by Yosef to his father.
- לֵאמֹ֗ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the oath.
- הִנֵּ֣ה (hinneh) – Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Used to emphasize the statement.
- אָנֹכִ֮י (ʾanokhi) – Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- מֵת֒ (met) – Root: מות (mot); Form: Participle, Qal, masculine singular; Translation: “am about to die”; Notes: Indicates imminent death.
- בְּקִבְרִ֗י (beqivri) – Root: קבר (qever); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “in my grave”; Notes: Refers to the burial site.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Links the grave to the action.
- כָּרִ֤יתִי (kariti) – Root: כרה (karah); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1cs; Translation: “I dug”; Notes: Refers to the preparation of the burial site.
- לִי֙ (li) – Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “for myself”; Notes: Indicates personal ownership.
- בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (beʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “in the land of”; Notes: Refers to Kenaʿan.
- כְּנַ֔עַן (Kenaʿan) – Root: כנען (Kenaʿan); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Kenaʿan”; Notes: The promised land.
- שָׁ֖מָּה (shammah) – Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates the burial location.
- תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי (tiqbereni) – Root: קבר (qavar); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms + 1cs suffix; Translation: “you shall bury me”; Notes: Yaʿaqov’s directive to Yosef.
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (veʿattah) – Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “Now, therefore”; Notes: Marks a transition to the request.
- אֶֽעֱלֶה־נָּ֛א (eʿeleh-na) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs + particle of entreaty; Translation: “let me go up, I pray you”; Notes: Polite request for permission.
- וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה (veʾeqberah) – Root: קבר (qavar); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs cohortative; Translation: “and bury”; Notes: Continuation of Yosef’s request.
- אֶת־אָבִ֖י (et-avi) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my father”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- וְאָשֽׁוּבָה (veʾashuvah) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1cs cohortative; Translation: “and I will return”; Notes: Assurance of Yosef’s return to Egypt.