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וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃ 12 וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֹֽול׃ 13 וַיֵּצֵא֙ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וְהִנֵּ֛ה שְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים עִבְרִ֖ים נִצִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע לָ֥מָּה תַכֶּ֖ה רֵעֶֽךָ׃ 14 וַ֠יֹּאמֶר מִ֣י שָֽׂמְךָ֞ לְאִ֨ישׁ שַׂ֤ר וְשֹׁפֵט֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ הַלְהָרְגֵ֙נִי֙ אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָרַ֖גְתָּ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֑י וַיִּירָ֤א מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אָכֵ֖ן נֹודַ֥ע הַדָּבָֽר׃ 15 וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לַהֲרֹ֣ג אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְיָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עַֽל־הַבְּאֵֽר׃

Vocabulary

Verse 11

גדל  verb: “grow up”

סבלה  “burden” (BDB, 688) 

מַכֶּ֥ה  “strike, smite” (root נכה)

Verse 12

פנה  verb: “turn and look” (BDB, 812)

יך  “smite” (root נכה)

טמן  verb: “hide” (BDB, 380)

חול “sand” (BDB, 297)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Notice the gentilic endings of מִצְרִ֔י “Egyptians” and עִבְרִ֖י “Hebrews.”  The English language uses a plethora of gentilic endings, sometimes called demonyms (e.g. -ian, -ish, -ite, -er, -ese, -s, etc.).  The gentilic suffix is a historically long “i” in Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic (actually “ay”).
• The idiom, כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה, describes how he looked.  A common idiom in English would be “he looked ‘both ways’” or “this way and that.”
• The word וַיַּךְ֙ is difficult to identify.  The root as indicated above is נכה.  The nun has assimilated and the he apocopated.  Thus, the only root letter remaining in the form is the kaf.  (Hint: Hebrew professors enjoy including this word on final exams)

Vocabulary

Verse 13

נצה  participle: “struggle with one another” (BDB, 663)

רשׁע  adjective: “wicked, evil”

Verse 14

הרג  verb: “kill”

אכן  “surely, certainly” (BDB, 38)

Verse 15

פרעה  name: “Pharaoh”

מדין  name: “Midian”

באר  noun: “well” (BDB, 91)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 13

• Notice the difference in the idiom of time.  In Hebrew, one refers to the “second day;” whereas, the English idiom is the “next day.”  Today in the Hebrew understanding of temporality is called day one, or the first day, tomorrow is called day two, or the second day, and the day after tomorrow is day three, or the third day.
• The adjective, רשׁע, is used as a denominative.

Verse 14

• The initial he of הַלְהָרְגֵ֙נִי֙ marks an interrogative.    
• In the last clause, הַדָּבָֽר means “matter, thing”

Verse 15

• An adjective must agree in gender, number, and definiteness (cf. הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה).

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