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 וּרְאִיתֶ֗ם אִם־דֶּ֨רֶךְ גְּבוּל֤וֹ יַֽעֲלֶה֙ בֵּ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ ה֚וּא עָ֣שָׂה לָ֔נוּ אֶת־הָרָעָ֥ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְאִם־לֹ֗א וְיָדַ֙עְנוּ֙ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָדוֹ֙ נָ֣גְעָה בָּ֔נוּ מִקְרֶ֥ה ה֖וּא הָ֥יָה לָֽנוּ׃ 10 וַיַּעֲשׂ֤וּ הָאֲנָשִׁים֙ כֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְח֗וּ שְׁתֵּ֤י פָרוֹת֙ עָל֔וֹת וַיַּאַסְר֖וּם בָּעֲגָלָ֑ה וְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם כָּל֥וּ בַבָּֽיִת׃ 11 וַיָּשִׂ֛מוּ אֶת־אֲר֥וֹן יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־הָעֲגָלָ֑ה וְאֵ֣ת הָאַרְגַּ֗ז וְאֵת֙ עַכְבְּרֵ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב וְאֵ֖ת צַלְמֵ֥י טְחֹרֵיהֶֽם׃ 12 וַיִשַּׁ֨רְנָה הַפָּר֜וֹת בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ עַל־דֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ בֵּ֣ית שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ בִּמְסִלָּ֣ה אַחַ֗ת הָלְכ֤וּ הָלֹךְ֙ וְגָע֔וֹ וְלֹא־סָ֖רוּ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול וְסַרְנֵ֤י פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ הֹלְכִ֣ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם עַד־גְּב֖וּל בֵּ֥ית שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 9

            גבול  “territory”

            גדול  “great”

            מקרה  “chance, accident, fate” (BDB, 894)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The protasis of the first conditional sentence is marked by אִם while the apodosis is marked by an asyndetic clause with a perfect verb (GKC, 159q).  The second sentence initiates the apodosis with a waw-consecutive imperfect verb.
• The sequencing of נגע with the inseparable preposition ב marks an adversative usage “against.”
• In the final copulative clause the subject complement precedes the subject.

Vocabulary

Verse 10

            פרה  “cow” (BDB, 831)

            עול  verb (Qal participle fpl): “give suck, feeding” (BDB, 732)

            אסר  verb: “fetter, yoke, harness”

            עגלה  noun: “cart” (BDB, 722)

            כלא  verb: “shut up” (BDB, 476)

            בניהם  “their sons (calves)”

Verse 11

            עגלה  noun: “cart” (BDB, 722)

            ארגז  “box, chest” (BDB, 919)

            עכבר  “mouse” (BDB, 747)

            צלם  “image” (BDB, 853)

            טחור  “tumor” (BDB, 377)

Verse 12

            ישׁר  verb: “go straight” (BDB, 448)

            פרה  “cow” (BDB, 831)

מסלה  “highway” (BDB, 700)

            געה  verb: “lowing (of cows)” (BDB, 171)

            סור  verb: “turn aside”

            שֹמאל  “left”

            סרן  “lord” (BDB, 710)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 10

• According to GKC 60h, the 3mpl suffix is used with the verb, וַיַּאַסְר֖וּם, instead of the expected 3fpl suffix to clear up confusion that may occur with attaching a final nun to a sureq verbal ending.
• The III-א verb כלא functions like a III-ה verb (GKC, 75qq).

Verse 12

• The infinitive absolute follows the finite verb in this example of the regular pattern of verbal stress, הָלְכ֤וּ הָלֹךְ֙ (GKC, 113r).  Gesenius notes further: “But inf. abs. after its verb suggests an indefinitely prolonged state of the action, and therefore expresses continuance, prevalence, &c.”

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