DailyHebrew.com

וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃ 2 וַתָּ֣מָת שָׂרָ֗ה בְּקִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            חיים  noun: “life”

            שׁרה  name: “Sarah”

Verse 2

            קרית ארבע  name: “Kiriath-arba (literally: ‘City of Arba’)”

        חברון  name: “Hebron”

            ספד  verb: “lament” (BDB, 704)

            בכה  verb: “weep”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 1

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה): V-S-SC-S
• The subject is split between the two member construct phrase, חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה, and the three member construct phrase, שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה.
• Following the usual idiom, a number larger than twenty is fashioned together by waw.
• Unusual though is the initial absolute form of מֵאָה instead of מְאַת (GKC 134d).

Verse 2

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַתָּ֣מָת שָׂרָ֗ה בְּקִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע): V-S-M
• Arba, according to Joshua (14:15; 15:13; 21:11), was the father of the Anakim; the city name is a tribute to their eponymous hero.
• Sentence Typology 2 (הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן): S-P
• The asyndetic clause designates the present name of the city as Hebron.
• The perpetual Kethib Qere (הִיא) refers to the city.
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ): V-S-M
• The two infinitives modify the finite verb, בוא.
• Embedded Typology 1 (לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה): V-O
• Embedded Typology 2 (וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ): V-O
• The final 3fs suffix designated by the mappiq refers to Sarah.

Trackback URI |