Jun 01 2007
Genesis 26:6-8
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר׃ 7 וַֽיִּשְׁאֲל֞וּ אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ לְאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא כִּ֤י יָרֵא֙ לֵאמֹ֣ר אִשְׁתִּ֔י פֶּן־יַֽהַרְגֻ֜נִי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ עַל־רִבְקָ֔ה כִּֽי־טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא׃ 8 וַיְהִ֗י כִּ֣י אָֽרְכוּ־ל֥וֹ שָׁם֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים בְּעַ֖ד הַֽחַלּ֑וֹן וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה יִצְחָק֙ מְצַחֵ֔ק אֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
Vocabulary
Verse 6
גרר name: “Gerar”
Verse 7
שׁאל verb: “to ask”
אחות “sister”
פן conj.: “lest”
רבקה name: “Rebekah”
מראה noun: “appearance, sight”
Verse 8
ארך verb: “to become long” (BDB, 73)
שׁקף verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “to look down (upon)” (BDB, 1054)
אבימלך name: “Abimelech”
פלשׁתי name: “Philistine”
בעד “behind, through”
חלון “window” (BDB, 319)
מצחק verb (Piel active participle ms abs): “to laugh, caress” (BDB, 850)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 6
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר): V-S-M
Verse 7
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַֽיִּשְׁאֲל֞וּ אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ לְאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ): V-S-M
- In the construct phrase, אנשׁי המקום, the second noun is definite, thus the entire phrase should be considered definite.
- Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא): V-O
- The verbal complement is embedded direct speech.
- Embedded Typology A (אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא): P-S
- The use of the masculine singular independent personal pronoun, הוא, is commonly used in the Torah to refer to feminine entities—it is pointed as the feminine singular IPP, הִיא. This is referred to as a Kethib-Qere perpetuum.
- Sentence Typology 3 (כִּ֤י יָרֵא֙ לֵאמֹ֣ר אִשְׁתִּ֔י): V-M
- אשׁתי serves as the object of the infinitive. It could also represent direct speech with a gapped subject, הוא, mirroring the previous clause (GKC 147aN.
- Sentence Typology 4 (פֶּן־יַֽהַרְגֻ֜נִי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ עַל־רִבְקָ֔ה): V-S-M
- For the use of פן in a historic narrative see GKC 152w.
- The verbal form, יהרגני, should be parsed as a Qal imperfect 3mpl with a 1cs pronominal suffix.
- Sentence Typology 5 (כִּֽי־טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא): P-S
- The construct phrase, טובת מראה, expresses a genitive of specification—“good with regard to appearance.”
- Notice the expected use of היא.
Verse 8
- Sentence Typology 1 (וַיְהִ֗י כִּ֣י אָֽרְכוּ־ל֥וֹ שָׁם֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים): V-P
- The initial temporal narrative frame ויהי כי may be left untranslated instead of using the expression: “And it happened that.” The aspect of the following narrative is determined by the following waw-consecutive (ST 2 below).
- Embedded Typology A (אָֽרְכוּ־ל֥וֹ שָׁם֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים): V-M-M-S
- This temporal expression (literally, “the days there were long to him”) should be rendered idiomatically.
- Sentence Typology 2 (וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים בְּעַ֖ד הַֽחַלּ֑וֹן): V-S-M
- The appellation, מלך פלשׁתים, is in apposition to the proper name, אבימלך.
- Sentence Typology 3 (וַיַּ֗רְא): V
- Sentence Typology 4 (וְהִנֵּ֤ה יִצְחָק֙ מְצַחֵ֔ק אֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ): S-V-O
- The particle, הִנֵּה, may express that which is seen or presented; in this context it may elicit surprise.
- Notice the word play on Isaac’s name: יצחק מצחק.
- The particle, את, is almost certainly the definite direct object marker and not the preposition as the verb is transitive.