Aug 04 2006
Genesis 24:1-4
וְאַבְרָהָ֣ם זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים וַֽיהוָ֛ה בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם בַּכֹּֽל׃ 2 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ֙ זְקַ֣ן בֵּית֔וֹ הַמֹּשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֥חַת יְרֵכִֽי׃ 3 וְאַשְׁבִּ֣יעֲךָ֔ בַּֽיהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ 4 כִּ֧י אֶל־אַרְצִ֛י וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י תֵּלֵ֑ךְ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִ֥י לְיִצְחָֽק׃
Vocabulary
Verse 1
זקן verb: “be old” (BDB, 278)
Verse 2
משׁל verb (Qal participle ms): “rule”
ירך “thigh, loins” (BDB, 437)
Verse 3
כנעני name: “Canaanites”
Verse 4
מולדת “kindred” (BDB, 409)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 1
· Sentence Typology 1 (): S-P
o The initial waw is disjunctive (waw + nonverb).
o The verb represents a state (GKC 142b).
o The participle, בָּא, is a nominal.
· Sentence Typology 2 (וַֽיהוָ֛ה בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם בַּכֹּֽל): S-V-O-M
Verse 2
· Sentence Typology A (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ֙ זְקַ֣ן בֵּית֔וֹ הַמֹּשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֥חַת יְרֵכִֽי): V-S-IO-O
o The object, עבדו, is followed by two appositional clauses designating to which servant is spoken.
o The second appositional clause contains the substantival participle, המשׁל “one ruling.”
o The object is direct speech that continues through the next two verses.
· Embedded Typology B (שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֥חַת יְרֵכִֽי): V-O-M
o The particle, נָא, is used frequently to soften the force of an imperative; it is sometimes translated as “please” (GKC 110d).
Verse 3
· Embedded Typology C (וְאַשְׁבִּ֣יעֲךָ֔ בַּֽיהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ): V-IO-M-O
o The appellations, אלהי השׁמים and אלהי הארץ, are in apposition to the divine name.
o The object is the following clause marked by אשׁר (GKC 165b).
· Embedded Typology i (לֹֽא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ): V-O-M
o The lamed preposition shows purpose, לבני “for my son.”
o The final suffix of כנען is the gentilic ending.
· Embedded Typology α (אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ): S-V-M
o This periphrastic verbal construction omits (or implies) היה.
o The 3ms final suffix refers to הכנעני.
Verse 4
· Embedded Typology ii (כִּ֧י אֶל־אַרְצִ֛י וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י תֵּלֵ֑ךְ): M-V
o The particle, כִּי, demonstrates the purpose for the action required by the previous clause.
o GKC notes “When the nota accusativi (אֵת, אֶת־) or a preposition precedes the first substantive, it may be repeated before the noun in apposition (131h).
· Embedded Typology iii (וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִ֥י לְיִצְחָֽק): V-O-IO
o The waw-consecutive perfect (GKC 112q) followed by two appositional substantives with repeated prepositions forms a chiastic structure—ABBA—with the first clause (ii).
