Aug 22 2006
Genesis 24:37-41
וַיַּשְׁבִּעֵ֥נִי אֲדֹנִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּאַרְצֽוֹ׃ 38 אִם־לֹ֧א אֶל־בֵּית־אָבִ֛י תֵּלֵ֖ךְ וְאֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִֽי׃ 39 וָאֹמַ֖ר אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֑י אֻלַ֛י לֹא־תֵלֵ֥ךְ הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אַחֲרָֽי׃ 40 וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י יְהוָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנָ֗יו יִשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכ֤וֹ אִתָּךְ֙ וְהִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖י וּמִבֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי׃ 41 אָ֤ז תִּנָּקֶה֙ מֵאָ֣לָתִ֔י כִּ֥י תָב֖וֹא אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י וְאִם־לֹ֤א יִתְּנוּ֙ לָ֔ךְ וְהָיִ֥יתָ נָקִ֖י מֵאָלָתִֽי׃
Vocabulary
Verse 37
כנעני name: “Canaanites”
Verse 38
משׁפח “family group [clan]”
Verse 39
אולי “perhaps’ (BDB, 19)
Verse 40
צלח verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive perfect 3ms): “make prosperous”
Verse 41
נקה verb: “be free” (BDB, 667)
אלה “oath” (BDB, 46)
נקי “free from” (BDB, 667)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 37
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַיַּשְׁבִּעֵ֥נִי אֲדֹנִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּאַרְצֽוֹ): V-IO-S-M-O
- The 1cs suffix attached to the verb, שׁבע, is the indirect object.
- Embedded Typology A (לֹא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּאַרְצֽוֹ): V-O-M
- The lamed represents purpose, לבני “for my son.”
- Embedded Typology i (אָנֹכִ֖י יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּאַרְצֽוֹ): S-V-M
- The verb is a periphrastic construct that omits היה.
Verse 38
- Embedded Typology B (אִם־לֹ֧א אֶל־בֵּית־אָבִ֛י תֵּלֵ֖ךְ וְאֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י): M-V-M
- The direct speech is continued from verse 37.
- The idiom, אם־לא, is used commonly in sequence with oaths (cf. GKC 149c).
- The verb is placed between the two similar adverbial modifiers.
- Embedded Typology C (וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִֽי): V-O-M
- The waw-consecutive perfect continues the force of the imperfect from the preceding clause.
Verse 39
- Sentence Typology 1 (וָאֹמַ֖ר אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֑י אֻלַ֛י לֹא־תֵלֵ֥ךְ הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אַחֲרָֽי): V-IO-O
- The waw-consecutive imperfect, ואמר, marks the response or answer to the oath.
- The object is direct speech.
- Embedded Typology A (אֻלַ֛י לֹא־תֵלֵ֥ךְ הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אַחֲרָֽי):
- The introductory particle is a defective spelling of אולי “perhaps.”
- Abraham’s servant asks “what if?”
Verse 40
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י יְהוָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנָ֗יו יִשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכ֤וֹ אִתָּךְ֙ וְהִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖י וּמִבֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי): V-IO-O
- The object is direct speech.
- Embedded Typology A (יְהוָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנָ֗יו יִשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכ֤וֹ אִתָּךְ֙): S-V-O-M
- The following embedded clause (i) modifies the subject.
- The particle, את, is used as a preposition “with.”
- Embedded Typology i (הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנָ֗יו): V-M
- The Hithpael stem connotes the idea of continuation of action, i.e. התהלך “walk about = live.”
- Embedded Typology B (וְהִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכֶּ֔ךָ): V-O
- The inexplicit subject of the clause could be יהוה or מלאך.
- Embedded Typology C (וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖י וּמִבֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי): V-O-M
- Unlike clause B of verse 38, the adverbial modifiers both follow the verb.
Verse 41
- Embedded Typology D (אָ֤ז תִּנָּקֶה֙ מֵאָ֣לָתִ֔י): V-M
- Pronominal suffixes are attached to the construct noun forms, אלת, although the initial qames normally would be reduced (GKC 95n).
- Embedded Typology E (כִּ֥י תָב֖וֹא אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י): V-M
- The particle, כי, functions as a temporal marker, “when.”
- Embedded Typology F (וְאִם־לֹ֤א יִתְּנוּ֙ לָ֔ךְ): V-IO-[O]
- The object, אשׁה, is implied (GKC 117f).
- Embedded Typology G (וְהָיִ֥יתָ נָקִ֖י מֵאָלָתִֽי): V-SC
- The adjective, נקי, is a substantive serving as the subject complement.
[...] 24:37-41 [...]