Dec 07 2005

Exodus 2:16-22

Published by Hardy at 8:29 am under Exodus

וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנֹ֑ות וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁקֹ֖ות צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן׃ 17  וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ הָרֹעִ֖ים וַיְגָרְשׁ֑וּם וַיָּ֤קָם מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּ֣ושִׁעָ֔ן וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־צֹאנָֽם׃ 18 וַתָּבֹ֕אנָה אֶל־רְעוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַדּ֛וּעַ מִהַרְתֶּ֥ן בֹּ֖א הַיֹּֽום׃ 19 וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י הִצִּילָ֖נוּ מִיַּ֣ד הָרֹעִ֑ים וְגַם־דָּלֹ֤ה דָלָה֙ לָ֔נוּ וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־הַצֹּֽאן׃ 20 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֶל־בְּנֹתָ֖יו וְאַיֹּ֑ו לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן אֶת־הָאִ֔ישׁ קִרְאֶ֥ן לֹ֖ו וְיֹ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃ 21 וַיֹּ֥ואֶל מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתֹּ֖ו לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃ 22 וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמֹ֖ו גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 16

מדין  name (of place): Midian

דלה  verb: “draw [water]” (BDB, 194)

רהט  “trough” (BDB, 923) 

שׁקה  verb (Hiphil infinitive construct): “water, cause to drink” 

Syntax & Miscellaneous

  • The first clause, לְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנֹ֑ות, is verbless and the lamed preposition is functioning as a possessive.
  • The word, צֹ֥אן, is a collective singular.

Vocabulary

Verse 17

גרשׁ  verb: “drive out” (BDB, 176)

ישׁע  verb: “help”

Verse 18

רעואל  name: “Reuel”

Verse 19

נצל  verb: “deliver” 

Verse 20

אי  interrogative (with 3ms suffix): “where” (BDB, 32)

עזב  verb: “leave, forsake” 

Verse 21

יואל  verb (Hiphil): “be willing” (BDB, 383)

צפרה name: “Zipporah”

Verse 22

גרשׁם  name: “Gershom”

נכרי  “foreign” (BDB, 648)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 17

  • Notice the gender shift from feminine verbs to masculine plural suffixes, and then back again in verse 8.

Verse 18

  • Other places in Exodus, Reuel is named Jethro (3:1; 4:18; 18:1-12)

Verse 19

  • The repetition of routes, as in דָּלֹ֤ה דָלָה֙, is a Hebrew literature form.

Verse 20

  • The single unit, וְאַיֹּו, is a complete clause—“where is he?”
  • The verb, קִרְאֶן, is a feminine imperative/command form.

Verse 21

  • The word, את, is not used as the indirect object in this clause, but as the preposition “with.”
  • In the phrase, צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתֹּ֖ו, the second word—“his daughter”—is in apposition to her name.

Verse 22

  • This verse follows the standard naming formula.

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