Aug 16 2008

Genesis 29:31-33

Published by Hardy at 3:03 am under Genesis

וַיַּ֤רְא יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה׃ 32  וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמֹ֖ו רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי׃ 33  וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמֹ֖ו שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃

Vocabulary

Verse 31

            שֹנא verb (Qal passive participle fsg abs): “hate” (BDB, 971)

            לאה name: “Leah”

            רחם noun: “womb” (BDB, 933)

            רחל name: “Rachel”

            עקר adjective: “barren” (BDB, 785)

Verse 32

            הרה verb: “conceive” (BDB, 247)

            ראובן name: “Reuben”

            עני noun: “affliction” (BDB, 777)

Verse 33

            הרה verb: “conceive” (BDB, 247)

            שֹנא verb: “hate” (BDB, 971)

            שׁמעון name: “Simeon”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 31

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַיַּ֤רְא יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה): V-S-O
    • The particle כי functions to embed the following clause, similar in usage to English “that.”
  • Embedded Typology A (שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה): V-S
    • The participle is functioning as a verb.
    • See J-M 160k on the semantics of שֹנא as “not to love” instead of “hate.”
  • Clause Typology 2 (וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ): V-O
  • Clause Typology 3 (וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה):
    • The initial waw is disjunctive—“but.”

Verse 32

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙): V-S
    • The final consonant of הרה is elided in the waw-consecutive imperfect form.
  • Clause Typology 2 (וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן): V-O
    • The Qal is used mostly for the birth of a child (mother as subject); however, it may also be used for the begetting (i.e. the father as the subject).
  • Clause Typology 3 (וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמֹ֖ו רְאוּבֵ֑ן): V-O-OC
  • Clause Typology 4 (כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי): V-O
    • The כי particle is used as a relative as in the previous verse (J-M 157c).
  • Embedded Typology A (כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י): V-S-M
    • The first yod of עניי is the final consonant of the root, while the second is a mater.
  • Embedded Typology B (כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי): V-O-S
    • The pronominal form uses the accented a-class “linking vowel”—יֶהֱהָבַ֫נִי (GKC 60c; J-M 63a).

Verse 33

  • Clause Typology 1 (וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮): V-M
  • Clause Typology 2 (וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒): V-O
  • Clause Typology 3 (וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה): V-O
    • The כי is functioning here as the conjunction—“because”—and not as the relative.
  • Embedded Typology A (כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי): V-S-O
    • As in the previous verse the כי is a relative (J-M 157c).
  • Embedded Typology i (שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי): V-S
    • The form of the verb is feminine because the speaker is Leah even though the independent person pronoun is not marked for gender.
  • Embedded Typology B (וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה): V-M-O
    • The demonstrative is used as a substantive.
  • Clause Typology 4 (וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמֹ֖ו שִׁמְעֽוֹן): V-O-OC

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