Gen. 30:31 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
ויאמר מה אתן לך :— ויאמר יעקב לא תתן לי מאומה אם תעשה לי את הדבר הזה אשובה ארעה צאנך אשמר
And he said, “What shall I give you?” And Yaʿaqov said, “You shall not give me anything; if you will do this thing for me, I will return, I will pasture your flock, and I will keep it.
Gen. 30:31 [Masoretic Text]
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מָ֣ה אֶתֶּן־לָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לֹא־תִתֶּן־לִ֣י מְא֔וּמָה אִם־תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּי֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אָשׁ֛וּבָה אֶרְעֶ֥ה צֹֽאנְךָ֖ אֶשְׁמֹֽר׃
And he said, “What shall I give you?” And Yaʿaqov said, “You shall not give me anything; if you will do this thing for me, I will return, I will pasture your flock, and I will keep it.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative past tense.
- מָ֣ה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- אֶתֶּן־ (ʾetten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I shall give”; Notes: Future action.
- לָ֑ךְ (lakh) – Root: לך (lakh); Form: Preposition with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates direction or recipient.
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- יַעֲקֹב֙ (Yaʿaqov) – Root: יעקב (Yaʿaqov); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yaʿaqov”; Notes: Name of the patriarch.
- לֹא־ (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation.
- תִתֶּן־ (titten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall give”; Notes: Future prohibition.
- לִ֣י (li) – Root: לי (li); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates recipient.
- מְא֔וּמָה (meʾumah) – Root: מאום (meʾum); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Indicates negation of any object.
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: אם (ʾim); Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־ (taʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You will do”; Notes: Future condition.
- לִּי֙ (li) – Root: לי (li); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Indicates benefit.
- הַדָּבָ֣ר (hadavar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “the thing”; Notes: Refers to a specific matter.
- הַזֶּ֔ה (hazzeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to a specific object.
- אָשׁ֛וּבָה (ʾashuvah) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal cohortative 1st person singular; Translation: “I will return”; Notes: Expresses intent.
- אֶרְעֶ֥ה (ʾerʿeh) – Root: רעה (raʿah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will pasture”; Notes: Indicates future action.
- צֹֽאנְךָ֖ (tzon’kha) – Root: צאן (tzon); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your flock”; Notes: Construct form shows possession.
- אֶשְׁמֹֽר׃ (ʾeshmor) – Root: שמר (shamar); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will keep”; Notes: Future continuous action.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 30:31
Genesis 30:31 shows a high degree of agreement between the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP), with only a minor grammatical variation in how the direct object is marked. The key difference is the inclusion of “את” (“et”) in the SP before “הדבר הזה” (“this thing”).
Key Differences
| Feature | Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Masoretic Text (MT) | Effect on Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| “And he said, ‘What shall I give you?'” | ויאמר מה אתן לך (vayomer mah eten lekha) | ויאמר מה אתן לך (vayomer mah eten lekha) | Identical wording. |
| “And Yaʿaqov said, ‘You shall not give me anything'” | ויאמר יעקב לא תתן לי מאומה (vayomer Yaʿaqov lo titen li me’umah) | ויאמר יעקב לא תתן לי מאומה (vayomer Yaʿaqov lo titen li me’umah) | Identical wording. |
| “If you will do this thing for me” | אם תעשה לי את הדבר הזה (im taʿaseh li et ha-davar ha-zeh) | אם תעשה לי הדבר הזה (im taʿaseh li ha-davar ha-zeh) | The SP includes “את” before “הדבר הזה”, explicitly marking the direct object, while the MT omits it. No change in meaning. |
| “I will return, I will pasture your flock, and I will keep it” | אשובה ארעה צאנך אשמר (ashuvah ereʿeh tsonkha eshmar) | אשובה ארעה צאנך אשמר (ashuvah ereʿeh tsonkha eshmar) | Identical wording. |
Analysis of the Direct Object Marker “את”
The Role of “את” in Biblical Hebrew
- The Hebrew particle “את” is commonly used to mark definite direct objects.
- Its absence does not usually change the meaning of a sentence but may affect clarity.
Possible Explanations for the SP’s Inclusion of “את”
- The addition of “את” in the SP aligns with standard biblical Hebrew usage, making the sentence more explicit.
- It is possible that the MT preserves an older or more poetic construction where “את” was omitted.
- The presence of “את” in the SP might reflect a later scribal tendency to clarify grammatical structures.
Textual and Linguistic Implications
- The inclusion of “את” in the SP does not alter the meaning but makes the sentence slightly more explicit.
- The MT’s omission of “את” is grammatically acceptable and does not affect comprehension.
- The overall message remains the same: Yaʿaqov sets conditions for staying in Lavan’s service.
Conclusion
The primary difference between the Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch in Genesis 30:31 is the inclusion of “את” in the SP before “הדבר הזה.” This difference is purely grammatical and does not impact the meaning of the verse. The SP’s reading might reflect a tendency to clarify object marking, whereas the MT’s reading maintains a slightly more concise expression. Despite this minor variation, both texts preserve the same dialogue structure and intent.