Introduction to Exodus 2:5
Exodus 2:5 describes a pivotal moment in the early life of Moshe. Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe in the Nile and finds the infant Moshe in the reeds. This verse contains several grammatical features significant in Biblical Hebrew, including verb forms, prepositional phrases, and construct chains. This article will focus on the construct chains (סְמִיכוּת), a fundamental aspect of Hebrew grammar that affects syntax and meaning.
וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ:
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
Exodus 2:5 contains three construct chains:
1. בַּת־פַּרְעֹה (bat-Parʿo) – “the daughter of Pharaoh”
2. יַד הַיְאֹר (yad ha-yeʾor) – “the bank of the Nile”
3. בְּתֹוךְ הַסּוּף (betokh ha-suf) – “in the midst of the reeds”
Each of these construct chains follows the standard pattern in Biblical Hebrew, where the first noun (the construct state) is linked to the second noun (the absolute state) to form a genitive relationship.
Explanation of Grammatical Function
1. בַּת־פַּרְעֹה (bat-Parʿo) – “the daughter of Pharaoh”
– Form: The word בַּת (bat, “daughter”) is in the construct state. The ־ (maqqef) indicates a close syntactic link to פַּרְעֹה (Parʿo, “Pharaoh”).
– Function: In Hebrew, proper names in genitive relationships do not take the definite article. The phrase does not read בַּת הַפַּרְעֹה but rather בַּת־פַּרְעֹה, yet it is still understood as “the daughter of Pharaoh” because פַּרְעֹה is a definite noun.
– Syntactic Role: This phrase serves as the subject of the verb וַתֵּרֶד (vatēred, “she went down”), identifying the actor in the verse.
2. יַד הַיְאֹר (yad ha-yeʾor) – “the bank of the Nile”
– Form: The noun יַד (yad, “hand” or “bank” in this context) is in the construct state and linked to הַיְאֹר (ha-yeʾor, “the Nile”).
– Definiteness: The definite article הַ in הַיְאֹר makes the entire phrase definite, meaning it is read as “the bank of the Nile”, not “a bank of a Nile.”
– Usage in the Verse: This phrase clarifies the location where Pharaoh’s daughter’s maidens were walking.
3. בְּתֹוךְ הַסּוּף (betokh ha-suf) – “in the midst of the reeds”
– Form: בְּתֹוךְ (betokh, “in the midst of”) is a noun in construct state meaning “midst of,” attached to הַסּוּף (ha-suf, “the reeds”).
– Definiteness: Since הַסּוּף has the definite article, the entire phrase is definite: “in the midst of the reeds”, not “in the midst of reeds.”
– Function: This phrase describes where the ark was floating, emphasizing its location within the vegetation of the river.
The Role of Construct Chains in Biblical Hebrew Syntax
Construct chains are a fundamental structure in Biblical Hebrew that express possessive and descriptive relationships without additional prepositions. Unlike English, where “of” is required to indicate possession or association, Hebrew achieves this syntactically through the construct state.
– Definiteness Rule: If the second noun (absolute state) has the definite article הַ, the entire construct chain is definite.
– Maqqef Usage: A hyphen (־) often appears in shorter construct chains, signaling close phonetic and syntactic connection.
– Word Order Stability: Construct chains must maintain their word order—reversing בַּת־פַּרְעֹה to פַּרְעֹה בַּת would be grammatically incorrect.
In Exodus 2:5, the construct chains add depth to the verse, clarifying relationships between people, places, and objects while maintaining the poetic economy of Biblical Hebrew.
