Jul 06 2007

Genesis 26:21-22

Published by Hardy at 9:33 am under Genesis

וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת וַיָּרִ֖יבוּ גַּם־עָלֶ֑יהָ וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמָ֖הּ שִׂטְנָֽה׃ 22 וַיַּעְתֵּ֣ק מִשָּׁ֗ם וַיַּחְפֹּר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת וְלֹ֥א רָב֖וּ עָלֶ֑יהָ וַיִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ רְחֹב֔וֹת וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־עַתָּ֞ה הִרְחִ֧יב יְהוָ֛ה לָ֖נוּ וּפָרִ֥ינוּ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 21

            חפר  verb: “dig” (BDB, 343)

            באר  noun: “well” (BDB, 91)

            אחר adjective (feminine singular): “another”

            ריב  verb: “strive, contend, quarrel”

            שֹטנה  name: “Sitnah”

Verse 22

עתק  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “move forward, proceed” (BDB, 801)

            חפר  verb: “dig” (BDB, 343)

            באר  noun: “well” (BDB, 91)

            ריב  verb: “strive, contend, quarrel”

            רחבות  name: “Rehoboth” (BDB, 932)

            רחב  verb (Hiphil perfect 3ms): “enlarge, make large” (BDB, 931)

            פרה  verb (Qal waw-conjunctive perfect 1cpl): “be fruitful” (BDB, 826)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 21

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת): V-O
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וַיָּרִ֖יבוּ גַּם־עָלֶ֑יהָ): V-M
    • The 3fs suffix refers to the באר אחרת.
  • Sentence Typology 3 (וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמָ֖הּ שִׂטְנָֽה): V-O-OC
    • The proper name, שֹטנה (from a root meaning “adversary, enmity”), serves syntactically as the OC [Object Complement].

Verse 22

  • Sentence Typology 1 (וַיַּעְתֵּ֣ק מִשָּׁ֗ם): V-M
    • The subject referent is Isaac (cf. vs. 18).
  • Sentence Typology 2 (וַיַּחְפֹּר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר אַחֶ֔רֶת): V-O
  • Sentence Typology 3 (וְלֹ֥א רָב֖וּ עָלֶ֑יהָ): V-M
    • The non sentence initial verb (waw + non-verb) marks a disjunctive clause.
  • Sentence Typology 4 (וַיִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ רְחֹב֔וֹת): V-O-OC
    • Notice the similar naming construction from the previous verse.
  • Sentence Typology 5 (וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־עַתָּ֞ה הִרְחִ֧יב יְהוָ֛ה לָ֖נוּ וּפָרִ֥ינוּ בָאָֽרֶץ): V-O
    • The particle, כי, is used to subordinate an object clause (GKC 157b).
  • Embedded Typology A (עַתָּ֞ה הִרְחִ֧יב יְהוָ֛ה לָ֖נוּ): M-V-S-M
    • Notice the use of the perfect, הרחיב, in contemporaneous time, עתה.  This type of use is difficult to explain with a simple tense based verbal system.
    • The final phrase, לנו, is may be understood as prepositional (rather than as an objective), “for us.”
  • Embedded Typology B (וּפָרִ֥ינוּ בָאָֽרֶץ): V-M
    • The initial verb is waw-consecutive perfect (only the 1cs and 2ms are distinguished by the penultimate stress pattern with waw, cf. GKC 49h).  This indicates an imperfective aspect (see GKC 112x : “to announce future events”).

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