Feb 01 2006

Exodus 4:1-5

Published by Hardy at 6:10 am under Exodus

וַיַּ֤עַן מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר וְהֵן֙ לֹֽא־יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לִ֔י וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמְע֖וּ בְּקֹלִ֑י כִּ֣י יֹֽאמְר֔וּ לֹֽא־נִרְאָ֥ה אֵלֶ֖יךָ יְהוָֽה׃ 2 וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֵלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה [מַזֶּה] בְיָדֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מַטֶּֽה׃ 3 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣הוּ אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ אַ֖רְצָה וַיְהִ֣י לְנָחָ֑שׁ וַיָּ֥נָס מֹשֶׁ֖ה מִפָּנָֽיו׃ 4 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה שְׁלַח֙ יָֽדְךָ֔ וֶאֱחֹ֖ז בִּזְנָב֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיַּ֣חֲזֶק בּ֔וֹ וַיְהִ֥י לְמַטֶּ֖ה בְּכַפּֽוֹ׃ 5 לְמַ֣עַן יַאֲמִ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־נִרְאָ֥ה אֵלֶ֛יךָ יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתָ֑ם אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֖ק וֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            הן  pronoun (3mpl): “they”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

  •  The verb, ראה “see,” in the Niphal stem means “appear.”

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            מטה  noun: “staff”

Verse 3

            הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣הוּ  verb (Hiphil imperative ms with 3ms suffix): “throw it”

            נחשׁ  noun: “serpent” (BDB, 638)

            נוס  verb: “flee”

Verse 4

            אחז  verb (Qal imperative ms): “take hold”

            זנב  noun: “tail” (BDB, 275)

            כף  noun: “hand, palm”

Verse 5

            אמן  verb (Hiphil): “believe, trust”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

  • Qere: מַה־זֶּ֣ה.  The Qere is a verbless clause, “what is that/this (in your hand).”

Verse 3

  • The final he on אַ֔רְצָה is a directional he that indicates the direction toward which the staff was to be thrown.
  • The repetitious structure of command/instruction and fulfillment (i.e. הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣הוּ אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ אַ֖רְצָה) is common in the text.
  • The verb, היה, plus lamed indicates something coming into existence or “becoming.” (i.e. lamed revaluationis; Ernst Jenni, Die Hebraischen Prapositionen, vol. 3 [Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 1992-2000])

Verse 5

  • The sequence, אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתָ֑ם אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֖ק וֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב, is in apposition to the divine name.

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