Exegetical Guide

Genesis 29:4-7

Genesis 29:4

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמֶר

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, singular, vav-conv

לָהֶם

 

ל: to, for, in regard to direction towards reference to
particle, preposition with third person, masculine, plural suffix 

יַעֲקֹב

 

יַעֲקֹב: Jacob
noun, proper name 

 

bqo[]y: ~h,l' rm,aYOw:  Compare this to ~h'r'b.a; wyl'ae rm,aYOw: (Gen.22:1). The components are the same in both cases but are these two segments translated the same way? In a case like this, it is context rather than rigid rules of word order which must be considered.

אַחַי

 

אָח: brother
noun, common, masculine, plural, construct with first person, common, singular suffix 

 

yx;a; This word is in the vocative (18.2). As was the case in that Lesson sentence, there are no guidelines here, other than context, to identify that part of speech. About the suffix: you have already seen that y I is the sign of the 1 c. sg. possessive suffix.

If the noun is singular, you will see y I as in yxia'  my brother

If the noun is plural, you will see y ; as in yx;a;  my brothers.

Two common but irregular nouns  ba' and xa'

ybia'

my father

yxia'

my brother

ybia]

father of

yxia]

brother of

yt;Aba]

my fathers

yx;a;

my brothers

yteAba]

fathers of

yxea]

brothers of

מֵ‍

 

מִן: from
particle, preposition 

אַיִן

 

אַיִן: whence
particle, adverb 

אַתֶּם

 

אַתֶּם: you
pronoun, second person, masculine, plural 

 

Plural of  hT'a;

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמְרוּ

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, plural, vav-conv

מֵ‍

 

מִן: from
particle, preposition 

חָרָן

 

חָרָן: Haran
noun, proper name 

אֲנָחְנוּ

 

אֲנַחְנוּ: we
pronoun, first person, common, plural 

 

Plural of ynIa]

Genesis 29:5

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמֶר

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, singular, vav-conv

לָהֶם

 

ל: to, for, in regard to direction towards reference to
particle, preposition with third person, masculine, plural suffix 

הַ

 

הֲ: the
particle, interrogative 

יְדַעְתֶּם

 

ידע: know
verb, qal, affix, second person, masculine, plural 

 

~T,[.d;y>h; What is the h? Is it the sign of the Hifil? Not here. In 1st y verbs, the addition of a stem preformative causes the y of the root to appear as a w so the 2 m. pl Hifil affix of [dy for example, is ~T,[.d:Ah A h in front of a verb or noun can be the interrogative particle. When this interrogative h is used, it will be appended to a word at the beginning of a verse or clause. Usually the interrogative h is pointed h] but it may be pointed h; or rarely h,

Context would indicate present tense translation even though ~T,[.d;y>h; is an affix form. This is discussed with the phrase yTi[.d;y" hT'[; yKi (Gen.22:12)

אֶת־

 

אֵת:
particle, direct object 

לָבָן

 

לָבָן: Laban
noun, proper name 

בֶּן־

 

בֵּן: son
noun, common, masculine, singular, construct 

נָחוֹר

 

נָחוֹר: Nahor Nahor
noun, proper name 

 

rAxn"-!B, !b"l'-ta, This is how a person’s full name is expressed in Hebrew: so-and-so !b, or tB; so-and-so

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמְרוּ

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, plural, vav-conv

יָדָעְנוּ

 

ידע: know
verb, qal, affix, first person, common, plural 

 

Wn[.d'y" What about the Wn Is it the 1 c. pl. affix pronoun (13.5) or the 1 c. pl suffix us? (18.3b). Which makes more sense? (It cannot be the 3 m. sg. suffix as in WNr<F.[;a] (Gen.28:22) because the only time Wn can be a 3 m. sg. suffix is when it is in the nunated form in WN ,ñ

Note that although English would use an object pronoun here, Hebrew doesn’t require one.

Genesis 29:6

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמֶר

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, singular, vav-conv

לָהֶם

 

ל: to, for, in regard to direction towards reference to
particle, preposition with third person, masculine, plural suffix 

הֲ

 

הֲ: the
particle, interrogative 

שָׁלוֹם

 

שָׁלוֹם: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
noun, common, masculine, singular 

 

~Alv'h] The noun ~Alv' is in Gen.28:21. It is a word with a broad range of meanings. In Hebrew ~Alv' carries the ideas of peace, welfare, well being, completeness, wholeness. What about the h in front? You have seen a preformative h as a sign of the Hifil, as the definite article and as an interrogative particle. You should be able to come up with reasons to eliminate two of these possibilities here. (“Context” doesn’t count as a sufficient reason this time). The phrase Al ~Alv'h] should be treated as a noun sentence.

לוֹ

 

ל: to, for, in regard to direction towards reference to
particle, preposition with third person, masculine, singular suffix 

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמְרוּ

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, plural, vav-conv

שָׁלוֹם

 

שָׁלוֹם: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
noun, common, masculine, singular 

וְ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

הִנֵּה

 

הִנֵּה: lo! behold!;
particle, interjection 

רָחֵל

 

רָחֵל: Rachel
noun, proper name 

בִּתּוֹ

 

בַּת: daughter
noun, common, feminine, singular, construct with third person, masculine, singular suffix 

 

ATBi |   tB; is an irregular noun and  ATBi shows the change in vocalisation when a suffix is added. Why the dagesh forte? (see %M'[i Gen.28:15)

בָּאָה

 

בּוא: come in, come, go in, go
verb, qal, participle, feminine, singular 

 

ha'ñB' The 3 m. sg. Qal affix and the m. sg. Qal participle of a hollow verb look the same (9.5a). This is true also for the 3 f. sg. Qal affix and the f. sg. Qal participle. Which is the intended form here? Well hNEhi introduces the clause which points to its being a participle. Also the accent can be a clue. If it is placed with the first syllable, the form is probably affix. So here, the accent is supporting the participial form, and in this context a participle makes more sense.

עִם־

 

עִם: with
particle, preposition 

הַ

 

ה: the
particle, article 

צֹּאן

 

צֹאן: small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
noun, common, feminine and masculine, singular 

Genesis 29:7

וַ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

יֹּאמֶר

 

אמר: utter, say
verb, qal, prefix, third person, masculine, singular, vav-conv

הֵן

 

הֵן: lo! behold if, whether
particle, interjection 

עוֹד

 

עוֹד: a going round, continuance still, yet, again, besides
particle, adverb 

הַ

 

ה: the
particle, article 

יּוֹם

 

יוֹם: day
noun, common, masculine, singular 

גָּדוֹל

 

גָּדוֹל: great
adjective, masculine, singular 

לֹא־

 

לֹא: removed far off
particle, negative 

עֵת

 

עֵת: time
noun, common, feminine and masculine, singular 

הֵאָסֵף

 

אסף: gather
verb, niphal, infinitive construct 

 

What will you take off to find the root? This is a use of the preformative h you have not seen yet. It is the indicator of two Nifal forms: the imperative and the infinitive. Context should tell you which form @sea'he is. The vowel pattern XXeX'|Xi oor  XXeX'|Xe [before a guttural or r] may be the signpost of this sometimes difficult stem (see rmea'yE  Gen 22:14 for an example of the Nifal prefix)

הַ

 

ה: the
particle, article 

מִּקְנֶה

 

מִקְנֶה: cattle
noun, common, masculine, singular 

 

hn<+q.Mih; The dagesh in the m should alert you to the function of the first h What is the function of the m ( see tl,k,_a]M;h;( Gen.22:6). The atnah   _marks a significant break in thought here.

הַשְׁקוּ

 

שׁקה: cause to drink water, give to drink
verb, hiphil, imperative, masculine, plural 

 

This is the third occurrence of hqv in this chapter. A preformative h or  ; under a prefix pronoun has been a consistent identifier.

Gen 29:2

Wqv.y:

3 m. pl. Hifil prefix

Gen.29:3

Wqv.hiw>

3 m. pl. Hifil affix

Gen.29:7

Wqv.h;

m. pl. Hifil imperative

הַ

 

ה: the
particle, article 

צֹּאן

 

צֹאן: small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
noun, common, feminine and masculine, singular 

וּ

 

ו: so, then, and consecutive that so that so, then
particle, conjunction 

לְכוּ

 

הלךְ: travel, go
verb, qal, imperative, masculine, plural 

 

The consonant cluster kl should signal the root

רְעוּ

 

רעה: pasture, tend, graze
verb, qal, imperative, masculine, plural 

 

The PGN is m. pl. That leaves [r for root letters. 20.3 indicates that in an imperative form missing a root letter, that missing letter can be in the first, second or third position. In the case of this word, there is a root for all those possibilities. As a reward for so much hard work so far, here’s a suggestion: try the third position first.