Gen. 31:16 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
כי כל העשר אשר הציל יהוה מאבינו לנו הוא ולבנינו ועתה כל אשר אמר אליך אלהים עשה
For all the wealth that YHWH has delivered from our father belongs to us and to our children. And now, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
Gen. 31:16 [Masoretic Text]
כִּ֣י כָל־הָעֹ֗שֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֤יל אֱלֹהִים֙ מֵֽאָבִ֔ינוּ לָ֥נוּ ה֖וּא וּלְבָנֵ֑ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֧ר אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֵלֶ֖יךָ עֲשֵֽׂה׃
For all the wealth that God has delivered from our father belongs to us and to our children. And now, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
Morphology
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces an explanation.
- כָל־הָעֹ֗שֶׁר (kol-haʿosher) – Root: עשר (ʿosher); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “all the wealth”; Notes: Refers to the property gained.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- הִצִּ֤יל (hitzil) – Root: נצל (naṣal); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has delivered”; Notes: Describes Elohim’s intervention.
- אֱלֹהִים֙ (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Elohim”; Notes: Refers to God.
- מֵֽאָבִ֔ינוּ (me-ʾavinu) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “from our father”; Notes: Refers to Lavan.
- לָ֥נוּ (lanu) – Root: לנו (lanu); Form: Preposition with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Indicates possession.
- ה֖וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Emphasizes ownership.
- וּלְבָנֵ֑ינוּ (u-levaneinu) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “and to our children”; Notes: Expands the ownership claim.
- וְעַתָּ֗ה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Signals a shift in focus.
- כֹּל֩ (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: Indicates totality.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces another clause.
- אָמַ֧ר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Perfect 3rd person masculine singular, Qal; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Indicates divine speech.
- אֱלֹהִ֛ים (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Elohim”; Notes: Refers to God.
- אֵלֶ֖יךָ (eleikha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Yaʿaqov.
- עֲשֵֽׂה׃ (ʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Imperative masculine singular, Qal; Translation: “do it”; Notes: A direct command.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 31:16
| Feature | Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Masoretic Text (MT) | Effect on Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Name | יהוה (YHWH, “the LORD”) | אלהים (Elohim, “God”) | The SP replaces Elohim with YHWH, explicitly identifying the deity, whereas the MT retains Elohim as the generic divine title. |
| Spelling of “Wealth” | העשר (ha-ʿosher, “the wealth”) | העשר (ha-ʿosher, “the wealth”) | Identical spelling in both texts. |
| Verb Form: “Delivered” | הציל (hitzil, “delivered”) | הציל (hitzil, “delivered”) | Identical in both texts. |
| Word Order in “Belongs to Us and to Our Children” | לנו הוא ולבנינו (lanu hu u-levaneinu, “to us it is, and to our children”) | לנו הוא ולבנינו (lanu hu u-levaneinu, “to us it is, and to our children”) | Identical in both texts. |
| Word Order in “Whatever God Has Said to You, Do It” | כל אשר אמר אליך אלהים עשה (kol asher amar eilekha Elohim aseh, “whatever God has said to you, do it”) | כל אשר אמר אלהים אליך עשה (kol asher amar Elohim eilekha aseh, “whatever God has said to you, do it”) | The MT places אלהים before אליך, while the SP places אליך before אלהים. The difference is stylistic, with no impact on meaning. |
Analysis of Key Differences
The main differences between the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) and the Masoretic Text (MT) in this verse are:
- The SP explicitly uses יהוה (YHWH, “the LORD”), while the MT retains אלהים (Elohim, “God”).
- The word order in the phrase “whatever God has said to you, do it” is reversed in the SP compared to the MT.
The change in word order does not alter the meaning but reflects a stylistic variation between the two traditions.
Textual and Linguistic Implications
The SP’s tendency to replace “Elohim” with “YHWH” aligns with its textual pattern of emphasizing the explicit divine name instead of a generic title. The word order variation in the last clause is a minor stylistic shift that does not affect the interpretation of the verse.
Conclusion
The difference in Genesis 31:16 between the MT and SP is theological rather than grammatical. The SP explicitly names YHWH, while the MT uses Elohim as the divine reference. The word order variation in the final clause is stylistic and does not change the fundamental meaning of the verse.