Genesis 4 – Line 00103

LINE SOURCE FILE

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INTRO

This file shows what the earliest Hebrew/Greek manuscripts say, word by word, before any interpretation.

PREFACE

This file presents the earliest traceable form of this line, drawn primarily from manuscript sources like the Leningrad Codex.

Where other manuscript witnesses differ or offer meaningful variation (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Samaritan Pentateuch), we remain watchful and will note those cases transparently when identified.

Every word is shown with its full lexical range; without smoothing, interpretation, or insertion.

This is not a translation or conclusion. It is a transparent starting point, open to personal encounter and divine resonance.

We do not treat any human source as final; only as visible reference points for deeper unfolding.

While we strive for care and clarity, any oversight or omission is unintentional, and all work remains open to refinement as understanding grows.

1. ORIGINAL LINE TEXT

Language: Hebrew

Manuscript Source: Leningrad Codex

Line Reference: Genesis 4:23

וַיֹּאמֶר לֶמֶךְ לְנָשָׁיו עָדָה וְצִלָּה שְׁמַעַן קוֹלִי נְשֵׁי לֶמֶךְ הַאְזֵנָּה אִמְרָתִי כִּי־אִישׁ הָרַגְתִּי לְפִצְעִי וְיֶלֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִי

2. DIRECT TRANSLITERATION

vayomer lemekh lenashav adah ve-tsillah shma’an qoli n’shei lemekh ha’zenah imrati ki-ish haragti lefitzi vayeled lechabburati

3. WORD-BY-WORD LEXICAL BREAKDOWN

WORD 1

Original: וַיֹּאמֶר

Transliteration: vayomer

Lexical Root: אמר (amar)

Part of Speech: Verb

Grammatical Info: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive

Lexical Range:

and he said

and he spoke

and he declared

WORD 2

Original: לֶמֶךְ

Transliteration: lemekh

Lexical Root: למך (lemekh)

Part of Speech: Proper noun

Grammatical Info: Masculine singular

Lexical Range:

Lamech (personal name)

WORD 3

Original: לְנָשָׁיו

Transliteration: lenashav

Lexical Root: ל (le) + נשים (nashim)

Part of Speech: Preposition + noun with pronominal suffix

Grammatical Info: Feminine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix

Lexical Range:

to his wives

for his women

WORD 4

Original: עָדָה

Transliteration: adah

Lexical Root: עדה (adah)

Part of Speech: Proper noun

Grammatical Info: Feminine singular

Lexical Range:

Adah (personal name)

WORD 5

Original: וְצִלָּה

Transliteration: ve-tsillah

Lexical Root: ו (vav) + צלה (tsillah)

Part of Speech: Conjunction + proper noun

Grammatical Info: Feminine singular

Lexical Range:

and Zillah (personal name)

WORD 6

Original: שְׁמַעַן

Transliteration: shma’an

Lexical Root: שמע (shama)

Part of Speech: Verb (imperative)

Grammatical Info: Qal imperative 2nd person feminine plural

Lexical Range:

hear

listen

pay attention

WORD 7

Original: קוֹלִי

Transliteration: qoli

Lexical Root: קול (qol)

Part of Speech: Noun with pronominal suffix

Grammatical Info: Masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix

Lexical Range:

my voice

my sound

my cry

WORD 8

Original: נְשֵׁי

Transliteration: n’shei

Lexical Root: נשים (nashim)

Part of Speech: Noun (construct)

Grammatical Info: Feminine plural

Lexical Range:

wives of

women of

WORD 9

Original: לֶמֶךְ

Transliteration: lemekh

Lexical Root: למך (lemekh)

Part of Speech: Proper noun

Grammatical Info: Masculine singular

Lexical Range:

Lamech (repetition)

WORD 10

Original: הַאְזֵנָּה

Transliteration: ha’zenah

Lexical Root: אזן (azan)

Part of Speech: Verb (imperative)

Grammatical Info: Hiphil imperative 2nd person feminine plural

Lexical Range:

give ear

listen attentively

incline the ear

WORD 11

Original: אִמְרָתִי

Transliteration: imrati

Lexical Root: אמר (amar)

Part of Speech: Noun with pronominal suffix

Grammatical Info: Feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix

Lexical Range:

my utterance

my saying

my word

WORD 12

Original: כִּי

Transliteration: ki

Lexical Root: כי (ki)

Part of Speech: Conjunction

Lexical Range:

for

because

that

indeed

WORD 13

Original: אִישׁ

Transliteration: ish

Lexical Root: איש (ish)

Part of Speech: Noun

Grammatical Info: Masculine singular

Lexical Range:

man

individual

person

male

WORD 14

Original: הָרַגְתִּי

Transliteration: haragti

Lexical Root: הרג (harag)

Part of Speech: Verb

Grammatical Info: Qal perfect 1st person singular

Lexical Range:

I killed

I slew

I struck down

WORD 15

Original: לְפִצְעִי

Transliteration: lefitzi

Lexical Root: פצע (petza)

Part of Speech: Noun with pronominal suffix

Grammatical Info: Masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix

Lexical Range:

for my wound

to my injury

because of my blow

WORD 16

Original: וְיֶלֶד

Transliteration: vayeled

Lexical Root: ילד (yeled)

Part of Speech: Noun

Grammatical Info: Masculine singular

Lexical Range:

and a child

and a youth

and a boy

WORD 17

Original: לְחַבֻּרָתִי

Transliteration: lechabburati

Lexical Root: חבורה (chabburah)

Part of Speech: Noun with pronominal suffix

Grammatical Info: Feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix

Lexical Range:

for my bruise

because of my wound

from my stripe

4. STRUCTURAL NOTES

Formal poetic speech: double imperative followed by declarative clauses.

Feminine plural commands addressed directly to Lamech’s wives—unusual grammatical pattern.

Internal parallelism between “shma’an qoli” and “ha’zenah imrati.”

“Ki … haragti” clause is assertive; structure implies causality or justification.

Use of singular “ish” and “yeled” introduces ambiguity in referents.

Lexical repetition reinforces emotional and rhythmic cadence.

5. VARIANT MANUSCRIPT NOTES

LXX follows structure closely but varies in intensity of terms (e.g., translates “yeled” as “young man”).

No major variant from Samaritan Pentateuch.

DSS fragments do not preserve this portion.

6. STRUCTURAL CONNECTION TO OTHER LINES

Begins poetic speech concluded in Genesis 4:24 (Line_00104).

Reflects culmination of Lamech lineage section (Lines_00099–00102).

Thematic resonance with violence motifs from earlier Cain narrative (Lines_00081–00096).

Anticipates ethical and narrative contrasts with the Sethite line in Genesis 5.

7. CAUTIONARY REMINDER

The content above does not represent a translation.

No conclusions, smoothing, or interpretive decisions have been made.

This file serves only to display the original structure and lexical range as transparently as possible.