Aug 14 2008
Genesis 29:28-30
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יַעֲקֹב֙ כֵּ֔ן וַיְמַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ֛ אֶת־רָחֵ֥ל בִּתּוֹ֖ לוֹ֥ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ 29 וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לְרָחֵ֣ל בִּתּוֹ֔ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחָתוֹ֑ לָ֖הּ לְשִׁפְחָֽה׃ 30 וַיָּבֹא֙ גַּ֣ם אֶל־רָחֵ֔ל וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב גַּֽם־אֶת־רָחֵ֖ל מִלֵּאָ֑ה וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ד עִמּוֹ֔ ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת׃
Vocabulary
Verse 28
שׁבוע “week” (BDB, 988)
רחל name: “Rachel”
Verse 29
לבן name: “Laban”
בלהה name: “Bilhah”
שׁפחה “maid(-servant)” (BDB, 1046)
Verse 30
לאה name: “Leah”
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 28
- Clause Typology 1 (וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יַעֲקֹב֙ כֵּ֔ן): V-S-M
- Clause Typology 2 (וַיְמַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את): V-S
- Clause Typology 3 (וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ֛ אֶת־רָחֵ֥ל בִּתּוֹ֖ לוֹ֥ לְאִשָּֽׁה): V-M-O-M
- The first lamed preposition indicates the indirect object: “to him/Jacob.”
- The function of the second lamed preposition is more nebulous; it may be best to understand the final two words as an infinitive clause with an elided היה verb, “to be for him a wife,” or as separate nominal clause (hence the disjunctive Massoretic accent): “[She] was to him as a wife” or “[She] was his wife.” The following verse uses the same construction.
- The final lamed preposition is used to indicate the “goal of a process,” that is, “given … as a wife” (MNK 39.11.1.1b).
Verse 29
- Clause Typology 1 (וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לְרָחֵ֣ל בִּתּוֹ֔ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחָתוֹ֑ לָ֖הּ לְשִׁפְחָֽה): V-S-M-O-M
- See the previous verse for an explanation of the lamed prepositions.
Verse 30
- Clause Typology 1 (וַיָּבֹא֙ גַּ֣ם אֶל־רָחֵ֔ל): V-M
- Clause Typology 2 (וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב גַּֽם־אֶת־רָחֵ֖ל מִלֵּאָ֑ה): V-M-O-M
- The מן preposition is used as a comparative—“more than.”
- Clause Typology 3 (וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ד עִמּוֹ֔ ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת): V-M