Feb 08 2006

Exodus 4:6-9

Published by Hardy at 6:03 am under Exodus, Grammar

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה ל֜וֹ ע֗וֹד הָֽבֵא־נָ֤א יָֽדְךָ֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַיָּבֵ֥א יָד֖וֹ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וַיּ֣וֹצִאָ֔הּ וְהִנֵּ֥ה יָד֖וֹ מְצֹרַ֥עַת כַּשָּֽׁלֶג׃ 7 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הָשֵׁ֤ב יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־חֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַיָּ֥שֶׁב יָד֖וֹ אֶל־חֵיק֑וֹ וַיּֽוֹצִאָהּ֙ מֵֽחֵיק֔וֹ וְהִנֵּה־שָׁ֖בָה כִּבְשָׂרֽוֹ׃ 8 וְהָיָה֙ אִם־לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לָ֔ךְ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֣ת הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן וְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֥ת הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃ 9 וְהָיָ֡ה אִם־לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֡ינוּ גַּם֩ לִשְׁנֵ֨י הָאֹת֜וֹת הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְלֹ֤א יִשְׁמְעוּן֙ לְקֹלֶ֔ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֙ מִמֵּימֵ֣י הַיְאֹ֔ר וְשָׁפַכְתָּ֖ הַיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהָי֤וּ הַמַּ֙יִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּקַּ֣ח מִן־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְהָי֥וּ לְדָ֖ם בַּיַּבָּֽשֶׁת׃

Vocabulary

Verse 6

            חיק  noun: “fold of garment” (BDB, 300)

            מצרע  verb (Pual participle fs): “leprous” (BDB, 863)

            שׁלג  noun: “snow” (BDB, 1017)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

  •  The verbal form of הבא is a Hiphil (causative) imperative ms.
  • The 3fs suffix, וַיּ֣וֹצִאָ֔הּ, refers to the feminine noun, יד.
  • The final clause, יָד֖וֹ מְצֹרַ֥עַת כַּשָּֽׁלֶג, is verbless.

Vocabulary

Verse 7

            חיק  noun: “fold of garment” (BDB, 300)

            בשר  “flesh, skin”

Verse 8

            אמן  verb (Hiphil imperfect 3mpl): “believe, trust”

            הָאַחֲרֽוֹן  “next”

Verse 9

            היאר  name: “Nile”

            שׁפך  verb: “pour out”

            יבשׁה  “dry ground” (BDB, 387)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 7

  • The verbal form of השׁב is a Hiphil (causative) imperative ms.

Verse 8

  • The idiom, וְהָיָה֙ אִם, expresses a conditional clause often followed by a result clause marked by waw.
  • The word, הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן, is the “first” ordinal number.

Verse 9

  • The final letter, יִשְׁמְעוּן֙, is a paragogic nun.
  • The final clause is resumptive from the preceding clause, וְהָי֤וּ הַמַּ֙יִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּקַּ֣ח מִן־הַיְאֹ֔ר.  Thus, these waters are the subject of the following clause.
  • 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]) 

Comments are closed at this time.

Trackback URI |