וַעֲבָרוּ יוֹמֵי בְכִיתֵיהּ וּמַלֵּיל יוֹסֵף עִם בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לְמֵימָר אִם כְּעַן אַשְׁכָּחִית רַחֲמִין בְּעֵינֵיכוֹן מַלִּילוּ כְעַן קֳדָם פַּרְעֹה לְמֵימָר:
And the days of his weeping passed, and Yosef spoke with the house of Parʿo to say, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak now before Parʿo to say…”
Syntax Walk-through: From Grief to Petition
In this transitional moment, the Targum captures a shift from mourning to political negotiation. Yosef does not go directly to Parʿo but instead uses layered indirect speech and deferential formulas, reflecting both etiquette and hierarchy. The Aramaic reveals a subtle syntax of diplomacy—where infinitive phrases, conditional particles, and third-party appeals form a web of respectful address.
1. וַעֲבָרוּ יוֹמֵי בְכִיתֵיהּ — “And the days of his weeping passed”
- וַעֲבָרוּ — Peʿal perfect 3mp of עבר, “they passed.”
- יוֹמֵי — Construct plural of “days.”
- בְכִיתֵיהּ — “his weeping,” noun + 3ms suffix.
This is a classic construct chain: “the days of his weeping.”
2. וּמַלֵּיל יוֹסֵף עִם בֵּית פַּרְעֹה — “And Yosef spoke with the house of Parʿo”
- מַלֵּיל — Paʿel perfect 3ms of מלל, “to speak” (intensive stem, denoting formal speech).
- בֵּית פַּרְעֹה — Construct phrase “the house of Parʿo,” i.e., royal officials or court.
The verb מַלֵּיל introduces indirect address, as Yosef is not yet speaking to Parʿo himself but through intermediaries.
3. לְמֵימָר — “to say” (infinitive construct)
Used twice in this verse, לְמֵימָר marks reported speech or intended future speech.
- First use: after מַלֵּיל, indicating Yosef’s request to the courtiers.
- Second use: after מַלִּילוּ, marking their expected speech before Parʿo.
Table: Indirect Speech Flow
| Speaker | Addressee | Verb | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yosef | House of Parʿo | מַלֵּיל … לְמֵימָר | Yosef makes a request |
| House of Parʿo | Parʿo | מַלִּילוּ … לְמֵימָר | Courtiers pass on the request |
4. אִם כְּעַן אַשְׁכָּחִית רַחֲמִין בְּעֵינֵיכוֹן — “If now I have found mercy in your eyes”
This phrase contains classic biblical-legal petition formula rendered into Aramaic:
- אִם — Conditional “if.”
- כְּעַן — “now.”
- אַשְׁכָּחִית — Peʿal perfect 1cs of שׁכח, “I have found.”
- רַחֲמִין — “mercy” or “favor.”
- בְּעֵינֵיכוֹן — “in your (pl.) eyes.”
The use of the plural “your eyes” addresses the entire court, not just one individual.
5. מַלִּילוּ כְעַן קֳדָם פַּרְעֹה — “Speak now before Parʿo”
- מַלִּילוּ — Paʿel imperative plural: “you (pl.) speak.”
- קֳדָם — Preposition meaning “before” or “in the presence of.”
- כְעַן — Again, the polite temporal “now.”
Beneath the Grammar, A Voice
Yosef’s request is humble, but its grammatical structure is masterful. The Targum captures the subtleties of indirect petition, imperative softening, and hierarchical address. From the mournful construct of יוֹמֵי בְכִיתֵיהּ to the layered infinitives of לְמֵימָר, this verse offers a linguistically encoded diplomacy.
In Onkelos, even permission is not begged—it is grammatically negotiated.
