DailyHebrew.com

וַיִּשָּׂ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵשָׂ֣ו בָּ֔א וְעִמּ֕וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּ֣חַץ אֶת־הַיְלָדִ֗ים עַל־לֵאָה֙ וְעַל־רָחֵ֔ל וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י הַשְּׁפָחֽוֹת׃ 2 וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת וְאֶת־יַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן רִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה וְאֶת־לֵאָ֤ה וִֽילָדֶ֙יהָ֙ אַחֲרֹנִ֔ים וְאֶת־רָחֵ֥ל וְאֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף אַחֲרֹנִֽים׃ 3 וְה֖וּא עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ אַ֙רְצָה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים עַד־גִּשְׁתּ֖וֹ עַד־אָחִֽיו׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            עשֹו name: "Esau" (BDB, 796)

            חצה verb: "divide" (BDB, 345)

            לאה name: "Leah" (BDB, 521)

            רחל name: "Rachel" (BDB, 932)

            שׁפחה "maid-servant" (BDB, 1046)

Verse 2

            שׁפחה "maid-servant" (BDB, 1046)

            ראשׁון adj. "first" (BDB, 911)

            אחרון adj. "coming after" (BDB, 30)

Verse 3

חוה verb (Št waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): "bow down (in reverence)" (HALOT 295 [BDB erroneously posits a root שׁחה on p. 1005])

פעם noun: "times"

נגשׁ verb: "approach, come near"

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 1

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיִּשָּׂ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב עֵינָ֗יו): V-S-O
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיַּרְא֙): V
• Clause Structure 3 (וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵשָׂ֣ו בָּ֔א): S-V
• The use of the particle הנה is common with a verb of seeing as here with ראה in the previous clause (J-M 126b).
• Clause Structure 4 (וְעִמּ֕וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִ֑ישׁ): P-S
• Some denote this clause type as a classifying non-verbal clause (W-O 8.4.2e).
• Clause Structure 5 (וַיַּ֣חַץ אֶת־הַיְלָדִ֗ים עַל־לֵאָה֙ וְעַל־רָחֵ֔ל וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י הַשְּׁפָחֽוֹת): V-O-M
• The preposition here may be best understood as "among."

Verse 2

• Clause Structure 1 (וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת וְאֶת־יַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן רִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה וְאֶת־לֵאָ֤ה וִֽילָדֶ֙יהָ֙ אַחֲרֹנִ֔ים וְאֶת־רָחֵ֥ל וְאֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף אַחֲרֹנִֽים): V-O-M

o       There are three compound object phrases each marked by the object marker, את, and accompanied by a following modifier.

Verse 3

• Clause Structure 1 (וְה֖וּא עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם): S-V-O
• The periphrastic pronoun is used to form a disjunctive clause: Jacob arrayed his family, but he crossed over before them.
• Clause Structure 2 (וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ אַ֙רְצָה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים עַד־גִּשְׁתּ֖וֹ עַד־אָחִֽיו): V-O-M
• First-nun infinitives construct pattern after first-weak verbs as a biradical form with segholate type vowels (GKC 66b).
• In a common Ugaritic epistolary formula, one finds a similar practice of the progressive genuflection in multiples of seven, demonstrating subservience from an inferior to a superior between non-royal, servant to master relations (see RS 29.093:8-10, l . pʿn . bʿlny’ ṯnỉd . šbʿd mrḥqtm . qlny "At the feet of our lord, we fall fourteen times at a distance"; also RS 19.102 and RS 92.2010), non-royal to royal personages (RS 9.479A:6-11, l . pʿn ʾadty  šbʿd w . šbʿʾid mrḥqtm qlt "At the feet of my lady, I fall at a distance seven times and seven times"), and between royal personages (an abbreviated formula is found in RS 11.872:5-6, l . pʿn . ủmy qlt "Before the feet of my mother, I fall"; also RS 16.379 et passim).

Trackback URI | Comments RSS