Exodus 4:2 – Interrogative Pronoun and Demonstrative Use of מַה־זֶּה

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֵלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה מַה־זֶּה בְיָדֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מַטֶּֽה׃

And YHWH said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.”

Explanation of Feature

This verse from Exodus 4:2 presents a clear example of a Hebrew interrogative clause introduced by the compound expression מַה־זֶּה (“What is this…?”). The interrogative מַה (“what”) is joined with the demonstrative זֶּה (“this”), forming a common question phrase that appears throughout narrative Hebrew.

This construction is followed by a prepositional phrase בְיָדֶךָ (“in your hand”), which completes the interrogative clause.

Examples from Exodus 4:2

Phrase Form Explanation
מַה־זֶּה Interrogative pronoun + demonstrative “What is this?” – a formulaic way to ask for identification
בְיָדֶךָ Prepositional phrase (בְ + noun + suffix) “in your hand” – completes the object of the question
מַטֶּה Noun, masculine singular “A staff” – Moses’ simple reply using the object in question

Related Grammatical Insight

– The compound interrogative מַה־זֶּה is structurally similar to English “What is this?” but lacks an explicit verb. In Hebrew, such verbless clauses are common and understood based on context.
– Demonstratives like זֶּה (“this”) often combine with interrogatives or nouns to clarify focus or reference.
– The prepositional suffix יָדֶךָ shows possessive second person masculine singular, literally: “your hand.”

This short exchange models Hebrew’s tendency toward brevity and directness in dialogue, especially in narrative contexts involving divine encounters.

About Biblical Hebrew

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