Jul 27 2006
Genesis 23:3-6
וַיָּ֙קָם֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י מֵת֑וֹ וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵי־חֵ֖ת לֵאמֹֽר׃ 4 גֵּר־וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב אָנֹכִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם תְּנ֨וּ לִ֤י אֲחֻזַּת־קֶ֙בֶר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה מֵתִ֖י מִלְּפָנָֽי׃ 5 וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־חֵ֛ת אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃ 6 שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀ אֲדֹנִ֗י נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹהִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ קְבֹ֖ר אֶת־מֵתֶ֑ךָ אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ אֶת־קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא־יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃
Vocabulary
Verse 3
חת name: “Heth”
Verse 4
גר “stranger, sojourner”
תושׁב “sojourner” (BDB, 444)
אחזה “possession”
קבר “grave”
קבר verb: “bury”
Verse 5
חת name: “Heth”
Verse 6
נשֹיא “prince”
מבחר “choicest” (BDB, 104)
כלא verb: “withhold”
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 3
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַיָּ֙קָם֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י מֵת֑וֹ): V-S-M
- The contracted preposition, מִן עַל> מֵעַל “from before,” should not be confused with מַעַל “above.”
- GKC notes that מֵת refers to a dead feminine body (122f).
- Sentence Typology 2 (וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵי־חֵ֖ת לֵאמֹֽר): V-IO-M-[O]
- The object is direct speech found in the following verse.
Verse 4
- Embedded Typology 1 (גֵּר־וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב אָנֹכִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם): P-S
- The subject of the verbless clause splits the predicate.
- Embedded Typology 2 (תְּנ֨וּ לִ֤י אֲחֻזַּת־קֶ֙בֶר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם): V-IO-O-M
- This asyndetic clause provides an explicit inference based on the previous supporting clause.
- The construct relationship, אֲחֻזַּת־קֶ֙בֶר֙ “possession of a burial place”, may be called a genitive of species (GKC 128m).
- Embedded Typology 1 (וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה מֵתִ֖י מִלְּפָנָֽי): V
- The waw copulative + cohortative marks the purpose of the action proposed in the preceding clause (GKC 108d).
Verse 5
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־חֵ֛ת אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ): V-S-IO-M-[O]
- The object is direct speech found in the following verse.
- GKC suggests that the final לוֹ is caused by anacoluthon (110e).
Verse 6
- Embedded Typology 1 (שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀ אֲדֹנִ֗י): V-O
- The appellation, אֲדֹנִ֗י “my lord,” is used here of Abraham.
- Embedded Typology 2 (נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹהִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ): P-S
- The superlative title, נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹהִ֤ים, indicates the greatest of all princes.
- Embedded Typology 3 (בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ קְבֹ֖ר אֶת־מֵתֶ֑ךָ): M-V-O
- The construct phrase, בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ, indicates an attributive relation—“Our best burial sites” (GKC 128r).
- Embedded Typology 4 (אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ אֶת־קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא־יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ): S-O-V-M
- The S-O-V typology is quite unusual in this clause (GKC 142f).
- The combination of the general term אישׁ with a negative verbal modifier לֹא connotes the idea of “no one at all” (GKC 152b & p).
- Embedded Typology A (מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ): V-O
- The final phrase uses a restrictive מִן (GKC 119x).
