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 וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְקֹ֣ום שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵלֹ֣ון מֹורֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ׃  7 וַיֵּרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַיהוָ֖ה הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו׃  8 וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אָהֳלֹ֑ה בֵּֽית־אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃  9 וַיִּסַּ֣ע אַבְרָ֔ם הָלֹ֥וךְ וְנָסֹ֖ועַ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse  1

אברם  name: “Abram”

עד  preposition (spatial marker): “unto”

שׁכם  name (of place): “Shechem”

אֵלֹון מֹורֶה  name (of place): “the terebinth of Moreh”

כְּנַעֲנִי  “Canaanite” (Canaani)

אָז  “then”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Bound (i.e. Construct) phrases with proper nouns are definite; hence אֵלֹון מֹורֶה “the tall tree of Moreh.”
• The last verbless clause uses a disjunctive waw.
• The vocalic suffix, hireq yod (not “ite”), indicates a gentilic noun that is a name of a group or people (e.g. Canaani, not Canaanite; Israeli, not Israelite; Benjamini, not Benjamite; etc.).

Verse 7

וַיֵּרָא  verb (Niphal): “appear”

הַנִּרְאֶה participle (Niphal): “appeared”

Verse 8

עתק   verb (Hiphil): “move forward” (BDB, 801)

קדם  “east”

מִיָּם  “westward”

Verse 9

נסע  verb: “sojourn, journey”

הַנֶּגְבָּה  name (of place): “Negev”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 7

• Adjectives must agree in person, number and definiteness (הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את).
• The substantival participle, הַנִּרְאֶה, modifies the preceding noun phrase (לַיהוָה).

Verse 8

• The directional marker, מִיָּם, literally means “seaward” or “toward the sea” which is west of Israel/Canaan. 

Verse 9

• As with the sea/westward direction of verse 8, הַנֶּגְבָּה  could indicate the place called “the Negev” or the direction of the Negev—south.

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