Gen. 24:64 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
ותשא רבקה את עיניה ותרא את יצחק ותפל מעל הגמל
Gen. 24:64 [Masoretic Text]
וַתִּשָּׂ֤א רִבְקָה֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק וַתִּפֹּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל הַגָּמָֽל׃
And Rivqa lifted up her eyes and saw Yitsḥaq, and she dismounted from the camel.
Morphology
- וַתִּשָּׂ֤א (vattisa) – Root: נשא (n-ś-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Wayyiqtol, 3fs; Translation: “And she lifted”; Notes: Sequential action introducing Rivqa’s movement.
- רִבְקָה֙ (Rivqa) – Root: רבקה (r-v-q-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Rivqa”; Notes: Subject of the sentence.
- אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ (et-ʿeineha) – Root: עין (ʿ-ʿ-n); Form: Noun, dual with 3fs suffix, accusative marker; Translation: “Her eyes”; Notes: Object of the verb “lifted.”
- וַתֵּ֖רֶא (vattereʾ) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Wayyiqtol, 3fs; Translation: “And she saw”; Notes: Sequential action following the lifting of eyes.
- אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק (et-Yitsḥaq) – Root: צחק (ṣ-ḥ-q); Form: Proper noun with accusative marker; Translation: “Yitsḥaq”; Notes: Object of the verb “saw.”
- וַתִּפֹּ֖ל (vattipol) – Root: נפל (n-p-l); Form: Verb, Qal, Wayyiqtol, 3fs; Translation: “And she let herself down”; Notes: Indicates Rivqa’s intentional action to dismount the camel, rather than an accidental fall. The verb “וַתִּפֹּ֖ל” (vattipol) in this context likely refers to an intentional descent, not an accidental fall. The preposition “מֵעַ֥ל” (“from upon”) supports this understanding. Translating it as “fell” could imply an unintentional action, which does not fit the context of Rivqa’s dignified approach toward Yitsḥaq. Therefore, “she let herself down” or “she descended” is more precise.
- מֵעַ֥ל (meʿal) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition with מ־ prefix; Translation: “From upon”; Notes: Describes Rivqa’s position before descending.
- הַגָּמָֽל (haggamal) – Root: גמל (g-m-l); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “The camel”; Notes: Specifies the object from which she dismounted.
