וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם אַנְשֵׁ֨י מִקְנֶ֜ה הָי֤וּ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ וְעַד־עַ֔תָּה גַּם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ גַּם־אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ בַּעֲב֗וּר תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ גֹּ֔שֶׁן כִּֽי־תֹועֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם כָּל־רֹ֥עֵה צֹֽאן׃
And you shall say, “Men of livestock have your servants been from our youth even until now, both we and also our fathers,” in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to Mitsrayim.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Genesis 46:34 highlights the use of the preposition בַּעֲבוּר (baʿavur) to introduce a purpose clause. This construction expresses intended result or purpose, often translated as “in order that.”
The verb following בַּעֲבוּר is in the imperfect form, here תֵּשְׁבוּ (you may dwell), which fits Hebrew syntax for expressing a future action that is the intended consequence of the previous statement.
Examples from Genesis 46:34
| Phrase | Gloss | Grammatical Role |
|---|---|---|
| בַּעֲבוּר תֵּשְׁבוּ | in order that you may dwell | Purpose clause introduced by preposition + imperfect verb |
| כִּֽי־תֹועֲבַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל־רֹעֵה צֹאן | for every shepherd is an abomination to Mitsrayim | Causal clause explaining the reason for the purpose clause |
Related Grammatical Insight
The word בַּעֲבוּר (“for the sake of,” “because of,” “in order that”) is a common Hebrew preposition derived from the root עָבַר (“to pass over”). It frequently introduces purpose or result clauses, especially when paired with an imperfect verb.
Other examples of purpose clauses:
– לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ – “in order that they may know”
– בַּעֲבוּר אֲשֶׁר – “because (of the fact) that…”
In Biblical Hebrew, identifying these purpose/result structures helps interpret the logical flow of speech or narrative—why something is said or done. In this verse, the intention is strategic: to justify why the brothers should dwell in Goshen, separated from the Egyptians who detest shepherds.
