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וְאַחַ֗ר בָּ֚אוּ מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְיָחֹ֥גּוּ לִ֖י בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ 2 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹל֔וֹ לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃ 3 וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָעִבְרִ֖ים נִקְרָ֣א עָלֵ֑ינוּ נֵ֣לֲכָה נָּ֡א דֶּרֶךְ֩ שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת יָמִ֜ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר וְנִזְבְּחָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ פֶּ֨ן־יִפְגָּעֵ֔נוּ בַּדֶּ֖בֶר א֥וֹ בֶחָֽרֶב׃ 4 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לָ֚מָּה מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן תַּפְרִ֥יעוּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִמַּֽעֲשָׂ֑יו לְכ֖וּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ 5 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה הֵן־רַבִּ֥ים עַתָּ֖ה עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם מִסִּבְלֹתָֽם׃

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            חגג  verb: “keep a pilgrim feast” (BDB, 290)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Clause initial, וְאַחַ֗ר “now later” (“afterwards”), marks a clear temporal break from the last section.
• The formula, כֹּה אָמַר, is used to relay speech of one individual through a mediator to another (cf. Genesis 32:5; 45:9).  The prophetic speech pattern of relaying God’s word to the world thusly follows this formula.  The ubiquitous pattern, כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, is found 493 times in the MT and first in Exodus 4:22.
• The construct phrase, אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, is not the beginning of the quotation, but in apposition to the divine name.
• The quotation rather begins with the Piel imperative (*Piel imperfect, יְשַׁלַּח, minus the preformative), שַׁלַּח֙ “send out.”
• The final clause connector, waw, should be understood as subordinating “that.”

Vocabulary

Verse 3

            קרא  verb (Niphal perfect 3ms): “encounter, met”

            פגע  verb: “fall upon” (BDB, 803)

            דֶּבֶר  noun: “plague” (BDB, 184)

Verse 4

            פרע  verb (Hiphil imperfect 2mpl): “refrain” (BDB, 828)

            סבלה  noun: “burden” (BDB, 688)

Verse 5

            סבלה  noun: “burden” (BDB, 688)

            שׁבת  verb (Hiphil perfect 2mpl): “cease, stop”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• Interrogative verbless clause: מִ֤י יְהוָה֙.
• The verbal construction of שׁמע plus beth preposition means “to obey.”
• The asyndetic clause, לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה, is epexegetical.  In English, one might use the explanative clause connector, “because.”
• Notice the chiastic construction being used emphatically: לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ “I do not know the Lord neither Israel will I sent out.”

Verse 3

• The subject of נִקְרָ֣א is אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָעִבְרִ֖ים.
• The form and function of נֵ֣לֲכָה  is cohortative, “let us go.”  As in verse two, this clause is asyndetic and probably explanative/epexegetical.

Verse 4

• The phrase, מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן, is a vocative.
• The final clause is an emphatic command, לְכ֖וּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם “Go (back) to your labors.”

Verse 5

• The speech formula, וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה, is repeated even though the speaker and addressee have not changed.
• The enclitic, הֵן, indicates some type of exclamation.
• To whom is the construct phrase, עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ, referring?  Israelites or Egyptians?

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