Jul 31 2006

Genesis 23:10-13

Published by Hardy at 5:43 am under Genesis, Grammar

וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת וַיַּעַן֩ עֶפְר֨וֹן הַחִתִּ֤י אֶת־אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֔ת לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃ 11 לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃ 12 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 13 וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 10

            עפר  name: “Ephron”

            חת  name: “Heth”

            אזן  noun: “ear”

Verse 11

            מערה  noun: “cave” (BDB, 792)

            קבר  verb: “bury”

            מת  noun: “dead”

Verse 12

            שׁחה  verb: “bow down”

Verse 13

            לו  “if only” (BDB, 530)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 10

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת): S-V-M
    • The initial waw is disjunctive (waw + nonverb).
    • The verbal construction is periphrastic implying the verb, היה (GKC 141b notes that such a construction is used commonly for contemporaneous action with the linking verbal clause).
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וַיַּעַן֩ עֶפְר֨וֹן הַחִתִּ֤י אֶת־אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֔ת לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר): V-S-O-M
    • The gentilic suffix designates through apposition that Ephron is a Hittite (note: the first use of this ethic name is found here).
    • The idiom, בְּאָזְנֵ֣י “answer in the ear of someone,” means these were witnesses to the answer given.
    • The construct (masculine plural) participle, בָּאֵ֥י, is a substantival and assumes the following as its object, “those who entered at the gate of his city” (GKC 116h).
    • GKC suggests that the lamed preposition is an emphasizing particle (143e); Joüon proposes, however, that it marks apposition (125l).
    • Typically ענה is sequenced with ויאמר (or other verb of speaking) in a verbal hendiadys; nevertheless this context provides the rare use of the infinitive construct, לאמר.

Verse 11

  • Sentence Typology 1 (לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣י): P
    • The negative, לֹא, is considered a verbal clause or negative response—“certainly not!” (GKC 152c).
    • The appellation, אדני, is used as a vocative.
  • Sentence Typology 2 (שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי): V-O
    • The imperative presents an alternative elsewhere linked with כִּי (cf. Genesis 19:2 וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י בָרְח֖וֹב נָלִֽין).
  • Sentence Typology 3 (הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ): O-V-IO
    • The tense of the verb is in question.  GKC states that it is present (106m); yet the context does not necessitate such an interpretation.  The text explicitly identifies Ephron with the sons of Heth who promised any grave of his choosing (v. 6).  For Ephron to say “I have already given it to you” is congruent with the previous interchange.
  • Sentence Typology 4 (וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ): M-IO-V-O
    • The initial phrase is the antecedent of the 3fs suffix attached to the verb.  This fronting of a clause constitute is called left-dislocation.
  • Embedded Typology 1 (בּ֖וֹ): P
    • The referent is the field, השֹדה, from the previous clause.
  • Sentence Typology 5 (לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ): M-V-O-IO
    • Ephron repeats the original pledge of the land as a gift three times (cf. clauses 3, 4 & 5).
  • Sentence Typology 6 (קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ): V-O

Verse 12

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ): V-O-M
    • The Hishtaphal verb, שׁחה, is usually transitive (expect in Isaiah 51:23).

Verse 13

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר): V-IO-M-O
    • The object is direct speech.
  • Embedded Typology 1 (אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי): M-S-V-O
    • Davidson designates לוּ as an optative particle (134), and GKC calls it a desiderative particle (110e).
  • Embedded Typology 2 (נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙): V-O-M
    • The conditional sentence begun with אִם is completed with this clause.
    • The construct phrase, כֶּסֶף הַשָֹּדֶה, is understood as “silver for the purchase of field.”
  • Embedded Typology 3 (קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי): V-M
    • The second imperative of this clause is demand the receipt of payment, לקח.
  • Embedded Typology 4 (וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה): V-O-M
    • The adverb, שָׁמָּה, ends with the locative he.

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Jul 31 2006

Genesis 23:10-13

Published by Hardy at 5:43 am under Genesis, Grammar

וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת וַיַּעַן֩ עֶפְר֨וֹן הַחִתִּ֤י אֶת־אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֔ת לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃ 11 לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃ 12 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 13 וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 10

            עפר  name: “Ephron”

            חת  name: “Heth”

            אזן  noun: “ear”

Verse 11

            מערה  noun: “cave” (BDB, 792)

            קבר  verb: “bury”

            מת  noun: “dead”

Verse 12

            שׁחה  verb: “bow down”

Verse 13

            לו  “if only” (BDB, 530)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 10

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת): S-V-M
    • The initial waw is disjunctive (waw + nonverb).
    • The verbal construction is periphrastic implying the verb, היה (GKC 141b notes that such a construction is used commonly for contemporaneous action with the linking verbal clause).
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וַיַּעַן֩ עֶפְר֨וֹן הַחִתִּ֤י אֶת־אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֔ת לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר): V-S-O-M
    • The gentilic suffix designates through apposition that Ephron is a Hittite (note: the first use of this ethic name is found here).
    • The idiom, בְּאָזְנֵ֣י “answer in the ear of someone,” means these were witnesses to the answer given.
    • The construct (masculine plural) participle, בָּאֵ֥י, is a substantival and assumes the following as its object, “those who entered at the gate of his city” (GKC 116h).
    • GKC suggests that the lamed preposition is an emphasizing particle (143e); Joüon proposes, however, that it marks apposition (125l).
    • Typically ענה is sequenced with ויאמר (or other verb of speaking) in a verbal hendiadys; nevertheless this context provides the rare use of the infinitive construct, לאמר.

Verse 11

  • Sentence Typology 1 (לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣י): P
    • The negative, לֹא, is considered a verbal clause or negative response—“certainly not!” (GKC 152c).
    • The appellation, אדני, is used as a vocative.
  • Sentence Typology 2 (שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי): V-O
    • The imperative presents an alternative elsewhere linked with כִּי (cf. Genesis 19:2 וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י בָרְח֖וֹב נָלִֽין).
  • Sentence Typology 3 (הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ): O-V-IO
    • The tense of the verb is in question.  GKC states that it is present (106m); yet the context does not necessitate such an interpretation.  The text explicitly identifies Ephron with the sons of Heth who promised any grave of his choosing (v. 6).  For Ephron to say “I have already given it to you” is congruent with the previous interchange.
  • Sentence Typology 4 (וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ): M-IO-V-O
    • The initial phrase is the antecedent of the 3fs suffix attached to the verb.  This fronting of a clause constitute is called left-dislocation.
  • Embedded Typology 1 (בּ֖וֹ): P
    • The referent is the field, השֹדה, from the previous clause.
  • Sentence Typology 5 (לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ): M-V-O-IO
    • Ephron repeats the original pledge of the land as a gift three times (cf. clauses 3, 4 & 5).
  • Sentence Typology 6 (קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ): V-O

Verse 12

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ): V-O-M
    • The Hishtaphal verb, שׁחה, is usually transitive (expect in Isaiah 51:23).

Verse 13

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר): V-IO-M-O
    • The object is direct speech.
  • Embedded Typology 1 (אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי): M-S-V-O
    • Davidson designates לוּ as an optative particle (134), and GKC calls it a desiderative particle (110e).
  • Embedded Typology 2 (נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙): V-O-M
    • The conditional sentence begun with אִם is completed with this clause.
    • The construct phrase, כֶּסֶף הַשָֹּדֶה, is understood as “silver for the purchase of field.”
  • Embedded Typology 3 (קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי): V-M
    • The second imperative of this clause is demand the receipt of payment, לקח.
  • Embedded Typology 4 (וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה): V-O-M
    • The adverb, שָׁמָּה, ends with the locative he.

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