Gen. 26:19 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
ויחפרו עבדי יצחק בנחל וימצאו שם באר מים חיים
Gen. 26:19 [Masoretic Text]
וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־יִצְחָ֖ק בַּנָּ֑חַל וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ־שָׁ֔ם בְּאֵ֖ר מַ֥יִם חַיִּֽים׃
And Yitsḥaq’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water.
Morphology
- וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ (Va-yaḥ-pə-ru) – Root: חפר (ḥ-p-r); Form: Wayyiqtol (preterite), 3mp; Translation: “And they dug”; Notes: Indicates the action of digging performed by Yitsḥaq’s servants.
- עַבְדֵֽי־ (Av-dei) – Root: עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “Servants of”; Notes: Indicates possession, linked to “Yitsḥaq.”
- יִצְחָ֖ק (Yitsḥaq) – Root: צחק (ṣ-ḥ-q); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yitsḥaq”; Notes: Refers to the patriarch Isaac.
- בַּנָּ֑חַל (Ba-naḥal) – Root: נחל (n-ḥ-l); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “In the valley”; Notes: Refers to a specific valley where they dug.
- וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ־ (Va-yim-tzə-u) – Root: מצא (m-ṣ-ʾ); Form: Wayyiqtol (preterite), 3mp; Translation: “And they found”; Notes: Denotes the result of their digging.
- שָׁ֔ם (Sham) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Adverb; Translation: “There”; Notes: Indicates the location of the discovery.
- בְּאֵ֖ר (Be-er) – Root: באר (b-ʾ-r); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “A well”; Notes: The object of their discovery.
- מַ֥יִם (Mayim) – Root: מים (m-y-m); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Water”; Notes: Refers to the substance within the well.
- חַיִּֽים (Ḥayyim) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “Living”; Notes: Denotes fresh, flowing water, as opposed to stagnant.
