May 17 2006

Exodus 6:14, 26-30

Published by Hardy at 6:37 am under Exodus, Grammar

אֵ֖לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֣י בֵית־אֲבֹתָ֑ם

14-25

ה֥וּא אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃ 27 הֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃ 28 וַיְהִ֗י בְּי֨וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ פ
29 וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹ֖ר אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה דַּבֵּ֗ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ 30 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם וְאֵ֕יךְ יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֵלַ֖י פַּרְעֹֽה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 14

            ראשׁ  noun: “head, first”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

  • Asyndetic, verbless clauses (S-P) begin the listing of names in verse 14 and also verse 26.
  • The term אב is used to mean family, or clan, group.
  • Verses 14-25 list the names of these family progenitors and their descendents.

Vocabulary

Verse 26

            צבא  noun: “hosts”

Verse 27

            פרעה  name: “Pharaoh”

Verse 30

            הן  particle: “behold”

            ערל  verb: “uncircumcised”

            שֹפה noun: “lip”

            איך  interrogative: “how?”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 26

  • BDB suggests the alternative reading אל צבאתם meaning “against their armies” instead of על “according to their hosts” (not supported by any ancient text).

Verse 27

  • The phrase, מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם, is in apposition to פַּרְעֹ֣ה.
  • The repetition of this verbless clause, ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן, at the head and foot of these two verses is curious.  It must connect back to the usage of the two names in verse 20.

Verse 28

  • The final relative clause, אֲנִ֖י דֹּבֵ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ, uses a periphrastic construction without a copulative.

Verse 29

  • The dagesh in the lamed of לֵּאמֹ֖ר is a conjunctive dagesh (GKC, 20c).

Verse 30

  • See previous comment on the idiom, עֲרַ֣ל שְׂפָתַ֔יִם.

2 Responses to “Exodus 6:14, 26-30”

  1. Ari Kinsbergon 18 May 2006 at 1:26 am

    What is a conjunctive dagesh?

  2. WERBEHon 18 May 2006 at 1:11 pm

    Good question. See the post Dagesh, What’s the Use?

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