כִּ֤י הֶעֱלִתִ֨יךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִ֖ים פְּדִיתִ֑יךָ וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אַהֲרֹ֥ן וּמִרְיָֽם׃
(Micah 6:4)
For I brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim and from the house of slavery I redeemed you and I sent before you Moshe Aharon and Miryam
Introduction: Three Verbs, Three Movements of Redemption
Micah 6:4 delivers a divine reminder, not through theological argument, but through verbs. Each verb is a milestone of redemption: bringing up, redeeming, and sending. And each verb arrives via a different binyan, each chosen not by accident, but by the deep currents of Hebrew verbal nuance. In this article, we explore how Hiphil, Qal, and Piel serve as vessels of divine action—escalating, rescuing, and commissioning.
Verb-by-Verb Binyan Dissection
1. הֶעֱלִתִ֨יךָ — I brought you up
- Root: ע־ל־ה (“to go up, ascend”)
- Binyan: Hiphil (perfect, 1st person singular with suffix)
- Morphological Structure: Causative prefix הֶ־, doubled middle radical עֱל, suffix תִיךָ (“you”)
- Function: Causative — “I caused you to go up” or “I brought you up”
- Semantic Impact: The Hiphil injects intentionality and divine agency. Israel did not escape—God caused their ascent. It’s a verb of elevation, both literal (from Mitsrayim) and symbolic (from slavery to covenant).
- Stylistic Force: Hiphil here acts like a divine hand lifting a people. The form turns a historical fact into a narrative of providence.
2. פְּדִיתִ֑יךָ — I redeemed you
- Root: פ־ד־ה (“to redeem, rescue”)
- Binyan: Qal (perfect, 1st person singular with suffix)
- Morphological Structure: Basic stem, suffixed form תִ֑יךָ (“you”), standard Qal vowels
- Function: Simple action — “I redeemed you”
- Semantic Note: In Qal, this verb expresses an act of rescue or ransom. The choice of Qal rather than Hiphil keeps the focus on the personal, relational act. No intermediaries. No bureaucracy. Just direct divine redemption.
- Contrastive Insight: Had this been in Hiphil (הִפְדִּיתִיךָ), it might imply a more legalistic or transactional tone. But Qal here keeps it intimate and direct.
3. וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח — And I sent
- Root: שׁ־ל־ח (“to send”)
- Binyan: Piel (converted imperfect, 1st person singular)
- Morphological Structure: Prefix וָאֶ־ (vav-conversive), doubled middle radical שְׁלַ, 1cs imperfect suffix
- Function: Intensive — “I emphatically sent” or “I dispatched with purpose”
- Semantic Force: The Piel strengthens the sending—it is not just dispatch but commission. The agents—Moshe, Aharon, and Miryam—are not mail carriers. They are messengers with weight.
- Poetic Insight: The progression is striking: Hiphil lifts, Qal rescues, Piel sends with solemn authority. These are not just verbs—they are an emotional narrative arc in morphology.
Redemption : A Table of Binyanim
| Verb | Root | Binyan | Voice | Action Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֶעֱלִתִיךָ | ע־ל־ה | Hiphil | Active | Causative | I brought you up |
| פְּדִיתִיךָ | פ־ד־ה | Qal | Active | Simple action | I redeemed you |
| וָאֶשְׁלַח | שׁ־ל־ח | Piel | Active | Intensive | And I sent |
Discourse Flow: Morphology Tells the Story
The verbs form a deliberate crescendo:
- Hiphil reaches down and lifts: “I caused you to ascend.”
- Qal cradles the soul with personal redemption: “I redeemed you.”
- Piel punctuates the mission: “I emphatically sent leaders to you.”
Each binyan shapes not just the action, but its tone and direction. Hiphil asserts divine initiative. Qal maintains relational nearness. Piel adds rhetorical weight to the sending of the prophet-siblings.
How the Binyan Shapes the Memory
Micah 6:4 is not merely a history lesson—it is covenantal memory encoded in verbs. The binyanim are not random; they mirror the stages of Israel’s salvation. Hiphil raises, Qal embraces, Piel commissions. Together, they remind the hearer: “You did not walk out of Mitsrayim by accident. You were lifted, redeemed, and led.”
This is what the verb is really saying. And this is why binyan matters—not just for parsing, but for proclaiming.
