Gen. 28:11 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
ויפגע במקום וילן שם כי בא השמש ויקח מאבני המקום וישם מראישתו וישכב במקום ההוא
And he reached the place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. And he took from the stones of the place and placed them at his head, and he lay down in that place.
Gen. 28:11 [Masoretic Text]
וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּקֹ֜ום וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּקֹ֔ום וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּקֹ֥ום הַהֽוּא׃
And he reached the place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. And he took from the stones of the place and placed them at his head, and he lay down in that place.
Morphology
- וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע (va-yifgaʿ) – Root: פגע (p-g-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he reached”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s arrival at a particular place.
- בַּמָּקֹ֜ום (ba-maqom) – Root: מקום (m-q-w-m); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “At the place”; Notes: Refers to a specific location.
- וַיָּ֤לֶן (va-yalen) – Root: לון (l-w-n); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he stayed for the night”; Notes: Denotes lodging for the night.
- שָׁם֙ (sham) – Root: N/A; Form: Adverb; Translation: “There”; Notes: Specifies the location of lodging.
- כִּי־בָ֣א (ki-va) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Because the sun had set”; Notes: Explains the reason for staying.
- הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ (ha-shemesh) – Root: שמש (sh-m-sh); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “The sun”; Notes: Refers to the setting of the sun.
- וַיִּקַּח֙ (va-yiqakh) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he took”; Notes: Describes Jacob’s action of taking stones.
- מֵאַבְנֵ֣י (me-avnei) – Root: אבן (ʾ-v-n); Form: Preposition + noun, fp construct; Translation: “From the stones of”; Notes: Indicates the material he took.
- הַמָּקֹ֔ום (ha-maqom) – Root: מקום (m-q-w-m); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “The place”; Notes: Specifies the location of the stones.
- וַיָּ֖שֶׂם (va-yasem) – Root: שׂים (s-y-m); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he placed”; Notes: Describes Jacob’s positioning of the stones.
- מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו (meraʾashotav) – Root: ראש (r-ʾ-sh); Form: Noun, mp with 3ms suffix; Translation: “At his head”; Notes: Indicates the purpose of the stones as a headrest.
- וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב (va-yishkav) – Root: שכב (sh-k-v); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “And he lay down”; Notes: Refers to Jacob lying down to rest.
- בַּמָּקֹ֥ום (ba-maqom) – Root: מקום (m-q-w-m); Form: Noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “In the place”; Notes: Indicates the specific location.
- הַהֽוּא׃ (ha-hu) – Root: N/A; Form: Demonstrative pronoun, ms; Translation: “That”; Notes: Refers to the specific place mentioned.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 28:11
Genesis 28:11 presents a minor but meaningful variation between the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP). The key difference lies in the word used for “his head”, which slightly affects the interpretation of the passage. Other minor orthographic and morphological variations do not alter the overall meaning.
Key Differences
| Feature | Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Masoretic Text (MT) | Effect on Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb “Reached” | ויפגע במקום (wayyifgaʿ bammāqōm) | וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּקֹ֜ום (wayyifgaʿ bammāqōm) | Identical wording; no change in meaning. |
| Verb “Stayed the Night” | וילן שם (wayyālen šām) | וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ (wayyālen šām) | Same meaning |
| “Because the sun had set” | כי בא השמש (kī bā hašemeš) | כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ (kī bā hašemeš) | Identical phrasing. |
| “And he took from the stones of the place” | ויקח מאבני המקום (wayyiqqaḥ mēʾavnē hāmmāqōm) | וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּקֹ֔ום (wayyiqqaḥ mēʾavnē hāmmāqōm) | No difference in meaning. |
| “Placed them at his head” | וישם מראישתו (wayyāśem mərāʾišātō) | וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו (wayyāśem mərāʾašōtāw) | SP uses a singular form מראישתו (“his headrest”), while MT uses מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו (“his head”). |
| “And he lay down in that place” | וישכב במקום ההוא (wayyiškaḇ bammāqōm hāhūʾ) | וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּקֹ֥ום הַהֽוּא (wayyiškaḇ bammāqōm hāhūʾ) | Identical phrasing. |
Phonological and Morphological Differences
Use of “His Head” vs. “His Headrest”
- The MT uses מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו (mərāʾašōtāw), which is a plural form meaning “his head (place).” This could imply multiple stones or a general reference to a place of rest.
- The SP uses מראישתו (mərāʾišātō), a singular form meaning “his headrest” or “his pillow.”
- This difference suggests that in the MT, Yaʿaqov arranged multiple stones, while in the SP, he placed a single stone under his head.
Stylistic Differences in Expression
- Both texts maintain identical sentence structure, with the only variation being in “his head” vs. “his headrest.”
- The Samaritan text tends to have simpler, more direct phrasing, which may reflect a scribal preference for clarity.
Textual and Linguistic Implications
- The plural form in the MT could imply that Yaʿaqov used multiple stones and possibly rearranged them into a resting place.
- The singular form in the SP could indicate that Yaʿaqov only took one stone, making the description more specific.
- Both texts preserve the same essential narrative, and the difference does not affect the overall meaning of the verse.
Conclusion
The primary variation between the Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch in Genesis 28:11 is the difference between מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו (“his head”) in the MT and מראישתו (“his headrest”) in the SP. This singular vs. plural distinction slightly affects how Yaʿaqov’s action is visualized but does not change the meaning of the passage. The MT suggests multiple stones, while the SP implies a single stone as a headrest. Despite this, both texts convey the same core idea: Yaʿaqov stopped at a place for the night, took a stone (or stones), and lay down to sleep.
