Jun 30 2008

Genesis 27:35-38

Published by Hardy at 8:13 am under Genesis

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בָּ֥א אָחִ֖יךָ בְּמִרְמָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֖ח בִּרְכָתֶֽךָ׃ 36  וַיֹּ֡אמֶר הֲכִי֩ קָרָ֨א שְׁמֹ֜ו יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַֽיַּעְקְבֵ֨נִי֙ זֶ֣ה פַעֲמַ֔יִם אֶת־בְּכֹרָתִ֣י לָקָ֔ח וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה לָקַ֣ח בִּרְכָתִ֑י וַיֹּאמַ֕ר הֲלֹא־אָצַ֥לְתָּ לִּ֖י בְּרָכָֽה׃ 37  וַיַּ֨עַן יִצְחָ֜ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֵשָׂ֗ו הֵ֣ן גְּבִ֞יר שַׂמְתִּ֥יו לָךְ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֗יו נָתַ֤תִּי לוֹ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים וְדָגָ֥ן וְתִירֹ֖שׁ סְמַכְתִּ֑יו וּלְכָ֣ה אֵפ֔וֹא מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה בְּנִֽי׃ 38  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶל־אָבִ֗יו הַֽבְרָכָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת הִֽוא־לְךָ֙ אָבִ֔י בָּרֲכֵ֥נִי גַם־אָ֖נִי אָבִ֑י וַיִּשָּׂ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו קֹלֹ֖ו וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 35

            מרמה noun: “deceit, treachery” (BDB, 941)

            ברכה noun: “blessing” (BDB, 139)

Verse 36

            עקב verb: “betray, circumvent; lit. grasp at the heal” (BDB, 784)

            פעם noun: “time; occasion, occurrence” (BDB, 821)

            בכרה noun: “firstborn” (BDB, 114)

            ברכה noun: “blessing” (BDB, 139)

        אצל verb: “withhold” (BDB, 69)

Verse 37

            עשו name: “Esau”

            גביר noun: “lord” (BDB, 150)

            דגן “grain” (BDB, 186)

            תירושׁ “wine” (BDB, 440)

            סמך verb: “rest; support, sustain” (BDB, 701)

            אפו particle: “then” (BDB, 66)

Verse 38

            עשו name: “Esau”

            ברכה noun: “blessing” (BDB, 796)

            בכה verb: “weep” (BDB, 113)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 35

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בָּ֥א אָחִ֖יךָ בְּמִרְמָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֖ח בִּרְכָתֶֽךָ): V-O
  • Embedded Typology A (בָּ֥א אָחִ֖יךָ בְּמִרְמָ֑ה): V-O-M
  • Embedded Typology B (וַיִּקַּ֖ח בִּרְכָתֶֽךָ): V-O

Verse 36

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֡אמֶר הֲכִי֩ קָרָ֨א שְׁמֹ֜ו יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַֽיַּעְקְבֵ֨נִי֙ זֶ֣ה פַעֲמַ֔יִם אֶת־בְּכֹרָתִ֣י לָקָ֔ח וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה לָקַ֣ח בִּרְכָתִ֑י): V-O
  • Embedded Typology A (הֲכִי֩ קָרָ֨א שְׁמֹ֜ו יַעֲקֹ֗ב): V-O-OC
    • The initial הכי marks a partially elliptical interrogative—“Isn’t this the reason why…” (cf. J-M 161j).
  • Embedded Typology B (וַֽיַּעְקְבֵ֨נִי֙ זֶ֣ה פַעֲמַ֔יִם): V-O-M
    • When closing a syllable, a guttural may take simple shewa as seen above in the form, ויעקבני (GKC 63m).
    • The demonstrative pronoun may be used enclitically with a designation of time (GKC 136d; J-M 143a); in this case it is used with the dual זה פעמים “now two times”.
  • Embedded Typology C (אֶת־בְּכֹרָתִ֣י לָקָ֔ח): O-V
    • The verbal form is in pause.
    • Notice the chiastic structure (AB-A’B’) and similarity of words of these clauses (בכרתי and ברכתי).
  • Embedded Typology D (וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה לָקַ֣ח בִּרְכָתִ֑י): M-V-O
  • Clause Typology 2 (וַיֹּאמַ֕ר הֲלֹא־אָצַ֥לְתָּ לִּ֖י בְּרָכָֽה): V-O
  • Embedded Typology A (הֲלֹא־אָצַ֥לְתָּ לִּ֖י בְּרָכָֽה): V-M-O
    • The grapheme, לי, is joined with the preceding verb with dagesh forte conjuntivum.

Verse 37

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַיַּ֨עַן יִצְחָ֜ק): V-S
  • Clause Typology 2 (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֵשָׂ֗ו הֵ֣ן גְּבִ֞יר שַׂמְתִּ֥יו לָךְ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֗יו נָתַ֤תִּי לוֹ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים וְדָגָ֥ן וְתִירֹ֖שׁ סְמַכְתִּ֑יו וּלְכָ֣ה אֵפ֔וֹא מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה בְּנִֽי): V-M-O
  • Embedded Typology A (הֵ֣ן גְּבִ֞יר שַׂמְתִּ֥יו לָךְ֙): OC-V-O-M
    • Each of the following four clauses varies significantly from the normal Hebrew verbal clause construction.  Pay particularly close attention to the ordering of the clause constituents therein.
  • Embedded Typology B (וְאֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֗יו נָתַ֤תִּי לוֹ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים): O-V-M
    • The unusual verb second syntax continues in this clause (cf. GKC 117ff).
    • The lamed of לעבדים is used to convey a transformational nature—“as servants”—or causative—“for [the purpose of becoming] servants.”
  • Embedded Typology C (וְדָגָ֥ן וְתִירֹ֖שׁ סְמַכְתִּ֑יו): M-V-O
    • The first constituent is a compound adverbial phrase: דגן ותירשׁ “with grain and wine.”
  • Embedded Typology D (וּלְכָ֣ה אֵפ֔וֹא מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה בְּנִֽי): M-S-V
    • The vowel of the masculine is explicitly marked by a mater ה accompanying the pronominal suffix (for other cases see GKC 103g).
    • See GKC 150l for more on the use of the particle אפוא.

Verse 38

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶל־אָבִ֗יו הַֽבְרָכָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת הִֽוא־לְךָ֙ אָבִ֔י בָּרֲכֵ֥נִי גַם־אָ֖נִי אָבִ֑י וַיִּשָּׂ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו קֹלֹ֖ו וַיֵּֽבְךְּ): V-S-M-O
  • Embedded Typology A (הַֽבְרָכָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת הִֽוא־לְךָ֙ אָבִ֔י): S-P
    • The initial ה is best understood as an interrogative marker.  The vowel (pataḥ) is full when preceding a shewa (cf. J-M 102m).
    • The number one, אחד, is an adjective and must agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number and definiteness.
    • The demonstrative is functioning to mark a cleft sentence, or casus pendens (cf. J-M 146e).
    • The final word is a vocative.
  • Clause Typology B (בָּרֲכֵ֥נִי גַם־אָ֖נִי אָבִ֑י): V-O
  • Clause Typology 2 (וַיִּשָּׂ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו קֹלֹ֖ו): V-S-O
  • Clause Typology 3 (וַיֵּֽבְךְּ): V
    • The final vowel is apocopated (i.e. lost) in the waw-consecutive imperfect form.

 

 

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