בְּרִיתִ֣י הָיְתָ֣ה אִתֹּ֗ו הַֽחַיִּים֙ וְהַ֨שָּׁלֹ֔ום וָאֶתְּנֵֽם־לֹ֥ו מֹורָ֖א וַיִּֽירָאֵ֑נִי וּמִפְּנֵ֥י שְׁמִ֖י נִחַ֥ת הֽוּא׃
“My covenant was with him, the life and the peace, and I gave them to him for fear, and he feared me, and before my name he was dismayed.
Morphology
- בְּרִיתִי (beriti) – Root: ברית (berit); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my covenant”; Notes: Covenantal relationship initiated by YHWH.
- הָיְתָה (hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Agrees with בְּרִיתִי.
- אִתֹּו (itto) – Root: את (ʾet in the sense of “with”); Form: Preposition אֵת + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “with him”; Notes: Indicates relational association.
- הַחַיִּים (ha-ḥayyim) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the life”; Notes: Plural form expressing fullness of life.
- וְהַשָּׁלֹום (ve-ha-shalom) – Root: שלם (shalem); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the peace”; Notes: Completeness and well-being.
- וָאֶתְּנֵם (va-ʾetnem) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 1st person common singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and I gave them”; Notes: Refers to life and peace.
- לֹו (lo) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Recipient of covenant blessings.
- מֹורָא (moraʾ) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Reverential awe.
- וַיִּירָאֵנִי (va-yiraʾeni) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “and he feared me”; Notes: Proper covenant response.
- וּמִפְּנֵי (u-mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “and from before”; Notes: Expresses presence or face.
- שְׁמִי (shemi) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “my name”; Notes: Represents YHWH’s revealed character.
- נִחַת (niḥat) – Root: חתת (ḥatat); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he was dismayed” or “he stood in awe”; Notes: Passive-reflexive nuance indicating reverential trembling.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphatic subject, referring to Levi.