Jun 29 2009
Genesis 31:40-42
הָיִ֧יתִי בַיּ֛וֹם אֲכָלַ֥נִי חֹ֖רֶב וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה וַתִּדַּ֥ד שְׁנָתִ֖י מֵֽעֵינָֽי׃ 41 זֶה־לִּ֞י עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָה֮ בְּבֵיתֶךָ֒ עֲבַדְתִּ֜יךָ אַרְבַּֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ בִּשְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתֶ֔יךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים בְּצֹאנֶ֑ךָ וַתַּחֲלֵ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת מֹנִֽים׃ 42 לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה רֵיקָ֣ם שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי אֶת־עָנְיִ֞י וְאֶת־יְגִ֧יעַ כַּפַּ֛י רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ׃
Vocabulary
Verse 40
חרב noun: "heat" (BDB, 351)
קרח noun: "ice, frost" (BDB, 901)
נדד verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3fs): "flee, depart" (BDB, 622)
שׁנה noun: "sleep" (BDB, 446)
Verse 41
חלף verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive imperfect 2ms): "change" (trans.) (BDB, 322)
משֹכרה noun: "wages" (BDB, 969)
מנה noun: "occurrence, time" (BDB, 584)
Verse 42
לולא conj: "if not; surely" (BDB, 529)
פחד noun: "dread, fear" (BDB, 808)
ריקם adv: "emptily" (BDB, 938)
עני noun: "poverty; affliction" (BDB, 777)
יגיע noun: "toil" (BDB, 388)
כף noun: "hand" (BDB, 496)
יכח verb: "decide, judge" (BDB, 406)
אמשׁ noun: "yesterday" (BDB, 57)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 40
- Clause Structure 1 (הָיִ֧יתִי בַיּ֛וֹם אֲכָלַ֥נִי חֹ֖רֶב וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה): V-O
- The object of the 'to be' verb is the embedded clauses which follow.
- Embedded Structure A (בַיּ֛וֹם אֲכָלַ֥נִי חֹ֖רֶב): M-V-O-S
- These two clauses are linked together by a chiastic A-B-B'-A' structure wherein the second line includes opposite terms (day/night and heat/frost).
- Embedded Structure B (וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה): S-[V-O-]M
- The verbal idea is gapped from the previous clause.
- Clause Structure 2 (וַתִּדַּ֥ד שְׁנָתִ֖י מֵֽעֵינָֽי): V-S-M
Verse 41
- Clause Structure 1 (זֶה־לִּ֞י עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָה֮ בְּבֵיתֶךָ֒): S-P-M
- The phrase, עשֹרים שׁנה, is dislocated from the referring pronoun זה (cf. GKC 136d), or it may be understood as a deictic adverbial particle (J-M 143a).
- Clause Structure 2 (עֲבַדְתִּ֜יךָ אַרְבַּֽע־עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ בִּשְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתֶ֔יךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים בְּצֹאנֶ֑ךָ): V-O-M
- The preposition ב connotes exchange, that is, "in exchange for…"
- Clause Structure 3 (וַתַּחֲלֵ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת מֹנִֽים):
- The adverbial phrase marker an iterative, "ten times" (J-M 142q; W-O 15.4b).
Verse 42
- Clause Structure 1 (לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י): S-V-M
- The particle לולי marks the beginning of an irreal conditional clause (GKC 159x; W-O 38.2e).
- For the alternative interpretation of פחד as cognate with Ugaritic pḫd 'flock, kinsmen', see W. F. Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity (1957), pp. 248ff (cf. HALOT 932).
- Clause Structure 2 (כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה רֵיקָ֣ם שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי)): M-V-O
- The apodosis is marked with כי (J-M 167s).
- Clause Structure 3 (אֶת־עָנְיִ֞י וְאֶת־יְגִ֧יעַ כַּפַּ֛י רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים): O-V-S
- Clause Structure 4 (וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ): V-M
3 Responses to “Genesis 31:40-42”
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קרח = “frost” I should suggest
.
Btw great to see you back!
Indeed the parallelism works better as frost.
Thanks!
[...] – Part 7: Direct Speech Chip Hardy has resumed posting at Daily Hebrew, and Monday’s installment was part of a speech made by Jacob to Laban in Genesis 31. This is [...]