Gen. 30:33 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
וענתה בי צדקתי ביום מחר כי יבוא על שכרי לפניך כל אשר איננו נקוד וטלוא בעזים וחום בכשבים גנוב הוא אתי
And my righteousness shall testify for me on the morrow when it comes concerning my wages before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and brown among the lambs is stolen with me.”
Gen. 30:33 [Masoretic Text]
וְעָֽנְתָה־בִּ֤י צִדְקָתִי֙ בְּיֹ֣ום מָחָ֔ר כִּֽי־תָבֹ֥וא עַל־שְׂכָרִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־אֵינֶנּוּ֩ נָקֹ֨ד וְטָל֜וּא בָּֽעִזִּ֗ים וְחוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים גָּנ֥וּב ה֖וּא אִתִּֽי׃
And my righteousness shall testify for me on the morrow when you come concerning my wages before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and brown among the lambs is stolen with me.”
Morphology
- וְעָֽנְתָה־ (ve-ʿan’tah) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And shall testify”; Notes: Expresses a future event.
- בִּ֤י (bi) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Indicates reference.
- צִדְקָתִי֙ (tzidqati) – Root: צדק (tzedeq); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my righteousness”; Notes: Indicates personal justice.
- בְּיֹ֣ום (beyom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Temporal expression.
- מָחָ֔ר (maḥar) – Root: מחר (maḥar); Form: Adverb; Translation: “tomorrow”; Notes: Future reference.
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when”; Notes: Introduces a condition.
- תָבֹ֥וא (tavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall come”; Notes: Future action.
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “concerning”; Notes: Expresses reference.
- שְׂכָרִ֖י (sekhari) – Root: שכר (sakhar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my wages”; Notes: Indicates personal earnings.
- לְפָנֶ֑יךָ (lefanekha) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before you”; Notes: Indicates position.
- כֹּ֣ל (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “every”; Notes: Indicates totality.
- אֲשֶׁר־ (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- אֵינֶנּוּ֩ (einennu) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative particle with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “is not”; Notes: Expresses negation.
- נָקֹ֨ד (naqod) – Root: נקד (naqod); Form: Adjective, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “speckled”; Notes: Describes a pattern.
- וְטָל֜וּא (vetalu) – Root: טל”א (talu); Form: Adjective, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “spotted”; Notes: Describes markings.
- בָּֽעִזִּ֗ים (baʿizzim) – Root: עז (ʿez); Form: Noun, feminine plural definite; Translation: “among the goats”; Notes: Indicates distinction.
- וְחוּם֙ (ve-ḥum) – Root: חום (ḥum); Form: Adjective, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “brown”; Notes: Describes color.
- בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים (bakkevasim) – Root: כבש (keves); Form: Noun, masculine plural definite; Translation: “among the lambs”; Notes: Indicates group distinction.
- גָּנ֥וּב (ganuv) – Root: גנב (ganav); Form: Qal passive participle, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “stolen”; Notes: Describes passive state.
- ה֖וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject.
- אִתִּֽי׃ (ʾitti) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Indicates possession or association.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 30:33
| Feature | Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Masoretic Text (MT) | Effect on Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb Form: “It comes” vs. “You come” | כִּי יָבֹוא (ki yavoʾ, “when it comes”) | כִּי תָבֹוא (ki tavoʾ, “when you come”) | SP uses a third-person singular verb, implying that the event (the wages) “comes,” while MT uses a second-person singular, referring to Laban coming. |
| Spelling Variations | נקוד וטלוא (naqod ve-taluʾ, “speckled and spotted”) | נָקֹד וְטָלוּא (naqod ve-taluʾ, “speckled and spotted”) | The SP lacks Masoretic vowel markings, but the consonantal spelling remains the same. No difference in meaning. |
| Definite Article in “Lambs” | בַּכְּשָׂבִים (ba-kesavim, “among the lambs”) | בַּכְּשָׂבִים (ba-kesavim, “among the lambs”) | No difference between SP and MT in this phrase. |
Analysis of Key Differences
The primary difference between the SP and MT in this verse is the verb choice: “when it comes” (כי יבוא) in the SP versus “when you come” (כי תבוא) in the MT. This changes the focus slightly:
- In the MT, Laban’s action is emphasized—Laban comes to check Jacob’s wages.
- In the SP, the event itself (the arrival of the wages) is emphasized.
This minor syntactical difference does not significantly alter the overall meaning but reflects slight shifts in phrasing between the textual traditions.
Textual and Linguistic Implications
The change from second-person singular (you come) in the MT to third-person singular (it comes) in the SP could indicate a slight editorial difference in perspective. While the MT implies that Laban will personally inspect Jacob’s wages, the SP shifts the focus to the general process of the wages being assessed.
Conclusion
The difference in Genesis 30:33 between the MT and SP is grammatical rather than substantive. The verb form variation slightly alters the nuance but does not change the essential meaning of the verse. The SP and MT otherwise align closely in this passage, with no major theological or narrative shifts.