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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.… Learn Hebrew
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