Exodus 20:20 (Exodus 20:17)

Exo 20:20 [Samaritan Pentateuch]

ויאמר משה אל העם אל תיראו כי לבעבור נסות אתכם בא האלהים ובעבור תהיה יראתו על פניכם לבלתי תחטאו

Exo 20:20 [Masoretic Text]

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־הָעָם֮ אַל־תִּירָאוּ֒ כִּ֗י לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ נַסֹּ֣ות אֶתְכֶ֔ם בָּ֖א הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וּבַעֲב֗וּר תִּהְיֶ֧ה יִרְאָתֹ֛ו עַל־פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם לְבִלְתִּ֥י תֶחֱטָֽאוּ׃

And Moshe said to the people, “Do not fear, for the God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

Morphology

1. וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayyomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks the beginning of Moshe’s speech.
2. מֹשֶׁ֣ה (Moshe) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
3. אֶל־הָעָם֮ (el-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + Definite article + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “To the people”; Notes: Indicates the audience of Moshe’s speech.
4. אַל־תִּירָאוּ֒ (ʾal-tiraʾu) – Root: ירא (y-r-ʾ); Form: Negative particle + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “Do not fear”; Notes: A prohibition directed at the people.
5. כִּ֗י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the explanation.
6. לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙ (l’vaʿavur) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “To test”; Notes: Indicates the purpose of God’s actions.
7. נַסֹּ֣ות (nasot) – Root: נסה (n-s-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct; Translation: “To test”; Notes: Infinitive construct indicating God’s purpose.
8. אֶתְכֶ֔ם (etkhem) – Root: N/A; Form: Direct object marker + 2mp suffix; Translation: “You”; Notes: Refers to the people as the object of the test.
9. בָּ֖א (ba) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Has come”; Notes: Describes God’s arrival.
10. הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (haʾElohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “God”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
11. וּבַעֲב֗וּר (uvaʿavur) – Root: עבר (ʿ-v-r); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “And so that”; Notes: Introduces a secondary purpose.
12. תִּהְיֶ֧ה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3fs; Translation: “May be”; Notes: Refers to the presence of God’s fear.
13. יִרְאָתֹ֛ו (yirʾato) – Root: ירא (y-r-ʾ); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His fear”; Notes: Represents reverence for God.
14. עַל־פְּנֵיכֶ֖ם (ʿal-p’neikhem) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct + 2mp suffix; Translation: “Upon your faces”; Notes: Indicates where God’s fear should manifest.
15. לְבִלְתִּ֥י (l’vilti) – Root: בל (b-l); Form: Preposition + Negative particle; Translation: “So that not”; Notes: Introduces the result of the fear.
16. תֶחֱטָֽאוּ (techetau) – Root: חטא (ḥ-ṭ-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “You may sin”; Notes: Concludes the purpose of God’s fear.