Jun 30 2009
Genesis 31:43-46
וַיַּ֨עַן לָבָ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙ וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי־ה֑וּא וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָֽה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלָֽדוּ׃ 44 וְעַתָּ֗ה לְכָ֛ה נִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית אֲנִ֣י וָאָ֑תָּה וְהָיָ֥ה לְעֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ׃ וַיִּקַּ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב אָ֑בֶן וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ מַצֵּבָֽה׃ 45 וַיִּקַּ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב אָ֑בֶן וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ מַצֵּבָֽה׃ 46 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֤ב לְאֶחָיו֙ לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֲבָנִ֖ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־גָ֑ל וַיֹּ֥אכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַגָּֽל׃
Vocabulary
Verse 44
עד noun: "witness"
Verse 45
מצבה noun: "stone pillar" (BDB, 663)
Verse 46
לקט verb: "glean, pick" (BDB, 544)
גל noun: "heap (of stones), pile" (BDB, 164)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 43
- Clause Structure 1 (וַיַּ֨עַן לָבָ֜ן): V-S
- Clause Structure 2 (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙ וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי־ה֑וּא וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָֽה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלָֽדוּ): V-M-O
- Embedded Structure A (הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י): S-P
- Embedded Structure B (וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙): S-P
- Embedded Structure C (וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י): S-P
- Embedded Structure D (וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי־ה֑וּא): P-S
- This clause is analyzed as having a dislocated subject referent (or casus pendens) with the basic clause לי הוא "it belongs to me" (J-M 154i).
- Embedded Structure i (אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה): S-V
- Embedded Structure E (וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָֽה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם): M-O-V-M
- Both אלה and בנתי are coreferential.
- Embedded Structure F (א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלָֽדוּ): M-[O-V]
- The object and verb, מה אעשֹה, are gapped from the previous clause.
- Embedded Structure i (יָלָֽדוּ): V
Verse 44
- Clause Structure 1 (וְעַתָּ֗ה לְכָ֛ה): M-V
- The imperative, לכה, is used as an interjection "come on", "come now" or the like (J-M 105e, GKC 120g; see GKC 69x on the form).
- Clause Structure 2 (נִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית אֲנִ֣י וָאָ֑תָּה): V-O
- The verb is a marked cohortative (J-M 119j)
- The phrase, אני ואתה, is "left" dislocated explicating who the subject is.
- Clause Structure 3 (וְהָיָ֥ה לְעֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ): V-M
- The והיה verb continues the modal nuance of the previous clause, "may it serve as a witness" (lit. "may it be for a witness"; see GKC 120g).
Verse 45
- Clause Structure 1 (וַיִּקַּ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב אָ֑בֶן): V-S-O
- The final word of the clause is the pausal form of אֶבֶן .
- Clause Structure 2 (וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ מַצֵּבָֽה): V-O-O
- The transitive verb, רום, in the Hiphil (Causative) stem becomes doubly transitive (i.e. it takes two objects). See J-M 125w and GKC 117ii.
Verse 46
- Clause Structure 1 (וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֤ב לְאֶחָיו֙ לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים): V-S-M-O
- Embedded Structure A (לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים): V-O
- This clause is imperatival followed by indicative clauses.
- Clause Structure 2 (וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֲבָנִ֖ים): V-O
- The expected dagesh with certain consonants including ק may not be present when followed by a reduced vowel (cf. verse 45, clause 1).
- Clause Structure 3 (וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־גָ֑ל): V-O
- Clause Structure 4 (וַיֹּ֥אכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַגָּֽל): V-M
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[...] is used as an interjection introducing an S-P clause (see a similar use of the imperative in verse 44). Alternatively, it could be read as a true command with אלהים as a [...]