May 10 2006

Exodus 6:10-13

Published by Hardy at 1:59 pm under Exodus, Grammar

 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ 11 בֹּ֣א דַבֵּ֔ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וִֽישַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ 12 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ פ
13 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ וַיְצַוֵּם֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ ס 

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            הן  enclitic (from הנּה): “behold”

            איך  interrogative: “how?”

            ערל  “uncircumcised” (BDB, 790)

            שֹפה  noun (feminine dual): “lip”

Verse 13

צוה  verb (Piel waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms w/ 3mpl suffix): “command, give charge”

            יצא  verb (Hiphil infinitive construct): “bring out”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 11

  • This direct speech introduction follows the typical topology, VSO.

Verse 12

  • The construct phrase, מלך מצרים, is in apposition to the proper name, פרעה “Pharaoh.”
  • The prefixed form, ישׁלח, is functioning like a jussive, “let the sons of Israel go out.”
  • The idiom, עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם “uncircumcised of lips,” is only found here and in verse 30.  It probably means “unskilled in speaking.”
  • The dual is an archaic form used to indicate a pair or twofold grouping of something, e.g. שְׂפָתָֽיִם “lips,” עינַ֫יִם “eyes,” ידַ֫יִם “hands,” etc.  The dual ending, masculineָ֫יִם  and feminine ָ֫תַיִם  , only occurs with nouns, “never with adjectives, verbs or pronouns” (GKC 88).

2 responses so far

2 Responses to “Exodus 6:10-13”

  1. # Ari Kinsbergon 11 May 2006 at 1:10 am

    You write that ?? is the masculine dual ending, but I thought all paired body parts are feminine.

  2. # WERBEHon 11 May 2006 at 1:44 am

    The masculine dual ending is determined by form and not usage. Some paired body parts that are feminine in form still take the "masculine" dual ending (e.g. ???? "hands" cf. Genesis 34:21); others nouns, like ??? "eye," are both masculine and feminine but take the masculine dual eding, ????? (cf. Genesis 20:16).

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