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וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃ 2 וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃ 3 וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            יהוה  divine name: “YHWH”

אברם  name: “Abram”

מולדת  noun: “kindred” (BDB 409)

Verse 2

            גוי  noun: “people”

            ברך  verb: “bless”

            גדל  verb (Piel waw-consecutive cohortative 1cs): “make great” (BDB 152)

            ברכה noun: “blessing”

Verse 3

            ארר  verb: “curse” (BDB 76)

            קלל  verb (Piel participle ms w/ 2ms suffix): “curse” (BDB 886)

            משׁפחה  noun: “family, kin-group”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמֹּֽולַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ): V-S-IO-O
• The waw-consecutive continues the narrative sequence from the previous section.
• The object of the clause is a quotation containing an embedded clause.  Direct quotes in BH are marked by asyndeton.
• Embedded Typology A (לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמֹּֽולַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ): V-O
• The imperative verb form לֶךְ of הָלַךְ is easily confused with לְךָ֛, the inseparable preposition with the 2ms pronominal suffix, that follows.
• The preposition מִן has different effects when combined with ארץ (nun assimilates and aleph cannot be doubled thus hireq lengths to sere), מולדת (nun assimilates causing the mem to be doubled) and בית (nun assimilates with doubling of beth).
• Embedded Typology i (אַרְאֶֽךָּ):: V-O
• Third he (R3 ה) verbs loose their final he with the addition of suffixes, thus ראה becomes אַרְאֶךָּ.
• The object, ארץ, is replaced by the relative particle אשׁר.

Verse 2

• Sentence Typology 1 (וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְגֹ֣וי גָּדֹ֔ול): V-IO-O
• Some have attempted to bifurcate the semantic domains of the words גּוֹי and עָם into absolute categories.  Although there is some divergence in usage, their semantic domains of each overlap substantially.  The interpreter should not be influence by the modern negative connotation of the term, goy.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔): V-O
• The 2ms pronominal suffix serving as the object of the clause is attached to the cohortative, Piel stem verb.
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ): V-O
• Sentence Typology 4 (וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה): V-SC
• How should the last clause וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה be rendered?  The editor of BHS wants the verb to be read as a 3ms perfect.

Verse 3

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ): V-O
• Sentence Typology 2 (וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר): O-V
• The sequencing of similar root verbs with parallel substantive participles “those who bless you” || “those who curse you” is highlighted by the chiastic arrangement of the first two clauses.
• Sentence Typology 3 (וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה): V-S-O
• The Niphal verb is used as a passive.
• The last clause begins with a Niphal verb whose subject is not found in the normal second position after the verb but at the end of the clause.  This subordination continues the emphasis upon God’s blessing through Abram.
  

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