וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלֹ֔ו לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֨עְתִּי֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃
And Parʿo said, “Who is YHWH that I should listen to His voice to send Yisraʾel? I do not know YHWH, and also I will not send Yisraʾel.”
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Exodus 5:2 showcases several important grammatical structures in Biblical Hebrew:
- The interrogative pronoun מִי (“Who?”) introduces a rhetorical question.
- A relative clause follows, introduced by אֲשֶׁר, modifying יְהוָה.
- The verse also uses double negation (לֹא יָדַעְתִּי, לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ) to emphasize rejection of both YHWH’s authority and the command.
Examples from Exodus 5:2
| Phrase | Form | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| מִי יְהוָה | Interrogative pronoun + proper noun | “Who is YHWH?” – rhetorical question expressing denial or challenge |
| אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ | Relative clause + yiqtol verb + prepositional phrase | “that I should listen to His voice” – defining who YHWH supposedly is |
| לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת־יְהוָה | Negation + perfect verb + direct object | “I do not know YHWH” – absolute denial of knowledge or recognition |
| וְגַם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ | Conjunction + direct object + negation + yiqtol verb | “and also Yisraʾel I will not send” – emphatic refusal |
Related Grammatical Insight
- Relative clauses with אֲשֶׁר function like English “who,” “which,” or “that,” and are flexible in word order.
- Negation with לֹא + perfect or yiqtol forms expresses denial in both past and future:
- לֹא יָדַעְתִּי – “I have not known” (perfect)
- לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ – “I will not send” (yiqtol/future)
Pharaoh’s defiance is grammatically sharp: he not only questions YHWH’s authority but declares ignorance and disobedience with climactic double negation.
