May 03 2006
Exodus 6:6-9
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַתָּ֣ה תִרְאֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה לְפַרְעֹ֑ה כִּ֣י בְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ יְשַׁלְּחֵ֔ם וּבְיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה יְגָרְשֵׁ֖ם מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ ס 2 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ 3 וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ 4 וְגַ֨ם הֲקִמֹ֤תִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתָּ֔ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥רוּ בָֽהּ׃ 5 וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃
Vocabulary
Verse 1
פרעה name: “Pharaoh”
גרשׁ verb: “drive out” (BDB, 176)
Syntax & Miscellaneous
- The feminine adjective, חֲזָקָה “strong,” is in attributive position (after noun) and agrees in number, gender and definiteness.
- The adverbial phrase, בְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙, is fronted (i.e. highlighted) in the last two clauses.
Vocabulary
Verse 3
ראה verb (Niphal waw-consecutive imperfect 1cs): “appear”
אל שׁדי name: “El Shaddai”
Verse 4
ברית “covenant”
כנען name: “Canaan”
מגור noun: “sojourning” (BDB, 158)
גור verb: “sojourn”
Verse 5
נאקה noun: “groaning” (BDB, 611)
משרים “Egypt”
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 2
- Such a “double” introduction of direct speech,וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו, is common in Hebrew.
- An exhaustive study of this phrase, אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה, would reveal its use in the context of God authenticating his deliverance and power.
- The verbless clause, אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה, has the typology S—P.
Verse 3
- The disjunctive waw (waw + non-verb in narrative) can be translated as “but.”
- The verb, נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי “make known,” is a Niphal perfect 1cs from the root ידע.
- See my overview of the debate concerning the Divine Name.
Verse 4
- The infinitive construct, לָתֵ֥ת, is derived from נתן.
- The noun phrase, אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם, is in apposition to the previous object of the infinitive, אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן.
Verse 5
- The particle, אֲשֶׁ֥ר, can signal a causal clause, “because.”