Jun 26 2009

Genesis 31:36-39

Published by at 11:04 am under Genesis

וַיִּ֥חַר לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב וַיָּ֣רֶב בְּלָבָ֑ן וַיַּ֤עַן יַעֲקֹב֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֔ן מַה־פִּשְׁעִי֙ מַ֣ה חַטָּאתִ֔י כִּ֥י דָלַ֖קְתָּ אַחֲרָֽי׃ 37 כִּֽי־מִשַּׁ֣שְׁתָּ אֶת־כָּל־כֵּלַ֗י מַה־מָּצָ֨אתָ֙ מִכֹּ֣ל כְּלֵי־בֵיתֶ֔ךָ שִׂ֣ים כֹּ֔ה נֶ֥גֶד אַחַ֖י וְאַחֶ֑יךָ וְיוֹכִ֖יחוּ בֵּ֥ין שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃ 38 זֶה֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ רְחֵלֶ֥יךָ וְעִזֶּ֖יךָ לֹ֣א שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ וְאֵילֵ֥י צֹאנְךָ֖ לֹ֥א אָכָֽלְתִּי׃ 39 טְרֵפָה֙ לֹא־הֵבֵ֣אתִי אֵלֶ֔יךָ אָנֹכִ֣י אֲחַטֶּ֔נָּה מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נָּה גְּנֻֽבְתִ֣י י֔וֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִ֖י לָֽיְלָה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 36

            חרה verb: “be angry” (BDB, 354)

            ריב verb: “strive, contend” (BDB, 936)

            לבן name: “Laban”

            פשׁע noun: “transgression” (BDB, 833)

            דלק verb: “burn” (BDB, 196)

Verse 37

            משׁשׁ verb: “feel; grope” (BDB, 606)

יכח verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 3mpl): “decide; adjudicate” (BDB, 406)

Verse 38

            רחל "ewe, sheep" (BDB, 932)

            שׁכל verb: "be deprived, make childless" (BDB, 1013)

Verse 39

            טריפה noun: "torn carcass"

            גנב verb: "steal"

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 36

  • Clause Structure 1 (וַיִּ֥חַר לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב): V-M
    • The Hebrew idiom with חרה ל is “it was kindled for (him),” that is, “he became angry.”  חרה ב is used for “he is angry with (her).”
  • Clause Structure 2 (וַיָּ֣רֶב בְּלָבָ֑ן): V-M
  • Clause Structure 3 (וַיַּ֤עַן יַעֲקֹב֙): V-S
  • Clause Structure 4 (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֔ן מַה־פִּשְׁעִי֙ מַ֣ה חַטָּאתִ֔י כִּ֥י דָלַ֖קְתָּ אַחֲרָֽי): V-M-O
  • Embedded Structure A (מַה־פִּשְׁעִי֙): S-P
    • The consonant following the interrogative particle, מה, is usually doubled; however, in the following clause (4B), the het cannot be doubled thus is “virtually doubled” (J-M 37c).
  • Embedded Structure B (מַ֣ה חַטָּאתִ֔י כִּ֥י דָלַ֖קְתָּ אַחֲרָֽי): S-P
    • See previous note.
  • Embedded Structure i (כִּ֥י דָלַ֖קְתָּ אַחֲרָֽי): V-M

Verse 37

  • Clause Structure 1 (כִּֽי־מִשַּׁ֣שְׁתָּ אֶת־כָּל־כֵּלַ֗י): V-O
  • Clause Structure 2 (מַה־מָּצָ֨אתָ֙ מִכֹּ֣ל כְּלֵי־בֵיתֶ֔ךָ): O-V-M
    • The first part of the word מכל is a מן preposition used as a partitive.
  • Clause Structure 3 (שִׂ֣ים כֹּ֔ה נֶ֥גֶד אַחַ֖י וְאַחֶ֑יךָ): V-M
    • The adverb כה is spatial "here".
  • Clause Structure 4 (וְיוֹכִ֖יחוּ בֵּ֥ין שְׁנֵֽינוּ): V-M

Verse 38

  • Clause Structure 1 (זֶה֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ): M-S-P
    • The demonstrative usually follows the modified noun, but here it precedes, indicating an adverb of time, "for these twenty years…"
  • Clause Structure 2 (רְחֵלֶ֥יךָ וְעִזֶּ֖יךָ לֹ֣א שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ): O-V
  • Clause Structure 3 (וְאֵילֵ֥י צֹאנְךָ֖ לֹ֥א אָכָֽלְתִּי): O-V
    • The sense of the verb אכל here is probably the more general "destroy" rather simply "eat."

Verse 39

  • Clause Structure 1 (טְרֵפָה֙ לֹא־הֵבֵ֣אתִי אֵלֶ֔יךָ): O-V-M
  • Clause Structure 2 (אָנֹכִ֣י אֲחַטֶּ֔נָּה): S-V-O
    • The final weak (א) is sometimes dropped when quiescent (GKC 23f; J-M 24fa).
    • The imperfective here indicates habitual action (J-M 113e).
  • Clause Structure 3 (מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נָּה גְּנֻֽבְתִ֣י י֔וֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִ֖י לָֽיְלָה): M-V-O-M
    • The passive participles, גנבתי, include a paragogic yod (J-M 93o), which W-O dub a remnant of the case system (W-O 8.2e)
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