--- title: Exodus 14:12 — Is not this the word that we spoke unto thee in Egypt, saying: Let u… · Hebrew, tree and pragmatics description: Is not this the word that we spoke unto thee in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.' Who acts: this, we, us. Exodus 14:12 in Hebrew with its dependency tree, Targum Onkelos, JPS 191 --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.14.12/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tanakh/) / [Torah](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/) / [Exodus](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO/) / [chapter 14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO/14/) / 14:12 # Exodus 14:12 שְׁמוֹת **Who acts:** this, we, us · **What happens:** not be, speak, say, let, serve, be · **To what, where:** word, Egypt, us, Egyptians · **Speech:** someone speaks in this verse This is Exodus 14:12 from Mova's open Bible corpus, the Tanakh in three languages (The Torah). The page gives the verse in Hebrew as the Westminster Leningrad Codex has it, its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, built from MACULA Hebrew — and its pragmatics: who acts — this, we, us — and what happens in the verse to word, Egypt, us, Egyptians, read clause by clause by Mova's frames. Beside it stand the Aramaic of Targum Onkelos and the English of the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 translation, each English sentence with a tree of its own. It is one of the 40 chapters of Exodus on this site, all built by Mova itself from its own trees, with no large model in between. הֲלֹא־זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבַּ֨רְנוּ אֵלֶ֤יךָ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חֲדַ֥ל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣ה אֶת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ [Is not this the word that we spoke unto thee in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.396/) [For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.397/) ## The tree {#tree} Right to left, as the Hebrew is read; a prefix or suffix is a word of its own, and a line under the words joins those written as one. Under each word its part of speech and MACULA's English gloss. ```conllu rtl gloss # sent_id = wlc:EXO:368 # text = הֲלֹא־זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבַּ֨רְנוּ אֵלֶ֤יךָ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חֲדַ֥ל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣ה אֶת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ # verse = EXO.14.12 1-2 הֲלֹא־ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 הֲ הֲ PART _ _ 5 advmod _ Gloss=?|Ref=EXO_14:12!1|MId=o020140120011|Strong=1886b|Type=interrogative 2 לֹא־ לֹא ADV _ _ 5 advmod _ Gloss=not|Ref=EXO_14:12!1|MId=o020140120012|Strong=3808|Type=negative 3 זֶ֣ה זֶה PRON _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|PronType=Dem 5 nsubj _ Gloss=[is].this|Ref=EXO_14:12!2|MId=o020140120021|Strong=2088|Type=demonstrative 4-5 הַדָּבָ֗ר _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 הַ הַ DET _ PronType=Art 5 det _ Gloss=the|Ref=EXO_14:12!3|MId=o020140120031|Strong=1886a|Type=definite_article 5 דָּבָ֗ר דָּבָר NOUN _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 0 root _ Gloss=word|Ref=EXO_14:12!3|MId=o020140120032|Strong=1697 6 אֲשֶׁר֩ אֲשֶׁר SCONJ _ _ 7 mark _ Gloss=which|Ref=EXO_14:12!4|MId=o020140120041|Strong=0834|Type=relative 7 דִּבַּ֨רְנוּ דָבַר VERB _ Gender=Com|HebBinyan=PIEL|Number=Plur|Person=1 5 acl:relcl _ Gloss=we.spoke|Ref=EXO_14:12!5|MId=o020140120051|Strong=1696|Frame=A0:020140100151;A1:020140120032;|Type=qatal 8-9 אֵלֶ֤יךָ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8 אֵלֶ֤י אֶל ADP _ _ 9 case _ Gloss=to|Ref=EXO_14:12!6|MId=o020140120061|Strong=0413 9 ךָ הוּא PRON _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs 7 obl _ Gloss=you|Ref=EXO_14:12!6|MId=o020140120062|Strong=3509b|Type=pronominal 10-11 בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 בְ בְּ ADP _ _ 11 case _ Gloss=in|Ref=EXO_14:12!7|MId=o020140120071|Strong=0871a 11 מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִצְרַיִם PROPN _ _ 7 obl _ Gloss=Egypt|Ref=EXO_14:12!7|MId=o020140120072|Strong=4714 12-13 לֵאמֹ֔ר _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 לֵ לְ ADP _ ExtPos=SCONJ 14 mark _ Gloss=(cmp)|Ref=EXO_14:12!8|MId=o020140120081|Strong=3807a 13 אמֹ֔ר אָמַר VERB _ HebBinyan=QAL 12 fixed _ Gloss=|Ref=EXO_14:12!8|MId=o020140120082|Strong=0559|Frame=A0:020140100151;A1:020140120091;020140120112;|Type=infinitive_construct 14 חֲדַ֥ל חָדַל VERB _ Gender=Masc|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Sing|Person=2 7 ccomp _ Gloss=cease|Ref=EXO_14:12!9|MId=o020140120091|Strong=2308|Frame=A0:020140110031;|Type=imperative 15-16 מִמֶּ֖נּוּ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 15 מִמּ מִן ADP _ _ 16 case _ Gloss=from|Ref=EXO_14:12!10|MId=o020140120101|Strong=4480 16 ֶ֖נּוּ הוּא PRON _ Gender=Com|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs 14 obl _ Gloss=us|Ref=EXO_14:12!10|MId=o020140120102|Strong=5105a|Type=pronominal 17-18 וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣ה _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17 וְ וְ CCONJ _ _ 18 cc _ Gloss=so|Ref=EXO_14:12!11|MId=o020140120111|Strong=2050b 18 נַֽעַבְדָ֣ה עָבַד VERB _ Gender=Com|HebBinyan=QAL|Number=Plur|Person=1 14 conj _ Gloss=that.we.may.serve|Ref=EXO_14:12!11|MId=o020140120112|Strong=5647|Frame=A0:020140100151;A1:020140120131;|Type=cohortative 19 אֶת־ אֵת ADP _ _ 20 case _ Gloss=(et)|Ref=EXO_14:12!12|MId=o020140120121|Strong=0853|Type=direct_object_marker|SpaceAfter=No 20 מִצְרָ֑יִם מִצְרַיִם PROPN _ _ 18 obj _ Gloss=Egypt|Ref=EXO_14:12!13|MId=o020140120131|Strong=4714 21 כִּ֣י כִּי SCONJ _ _ 22 mark _ Gloss=(dm)|Ref=EXO_14:12!14|MId=o020140120141|Strong=3588 22 ט֥וֹב טוֹב ADJ _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 5 advcl _ Gloss=[is].good|Ref=EXO_14:12!15|MId=o020140120151|Strong=2896|Type=adjective 23-24 לָ֙נוּ֙ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 23 ל לְ ADP _ _ 24 case _ Gloss=for|Ref=EXO_14:12!16|MId=o020140120161|Strong=3807a 24 ָ֙נוּ֙ הוּא PRON _ Gender=Com|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs 22 obl _ Gloss=us|Ref=EXO_14:12!16|MId=o020140120162|Strong=5105a|Type=pronominal 25 עֲבֹ֣ד עָבַד VERB _ HebBinyan=QAL 22 nsubj _ Gloss=serving|Ref=EXO_14:12!17|MId=o020140120171|Strong=5647|Frame=A0:020140100151;A1:020140120191;|Type=infinitive_construct 26 אֶת־ אֵת ADP _ _ 27 case _ Gloss=(et)|Ref=EXO_14:12!18|MId=o020140120181|Strong=0853|Type=direct_object_marker|SpaceAfter=No 27 מִצְרַ֔יִם מִצְרַיִם PROPN _ _ 25 obj _ Gloss=Egypt|Ref=EXO_14:12!19|MId=o020140120191|Strong=4714 28-30 מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28 מִ מִן ADP _ _ 29 case _ Gloss=more|Ref=EXO_14:12!20|MId=o020140120201|Strong=4480 29 מֻּת מוּת VERB _ HebBinyan=QAL 22 advcl _ Gloss=than|Ref=EXO_14:12!20|MId=o020140120202|Strong=4191|Frame=A0:020140120203;|Type=infinitive_construct 30 ֵ֖נוּ הוּא PRON _ Gender=Com|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs 29 nsubj _ Gloss=our.dying|Ref=EXO_14:12!20|MId=o020140120203|Strong=5105a|Type=pronominal 31-33 בַּמִּדְבָּֽר _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 31 בַּ בְּ ADP _ _ 33 case _ Gloss=in|Ref=EXO_14:12!21|MId=o020140120211|Strong=0871a 32 ה הַ DET _ PronType=Art 33 det _ Gloss=the|Ref=EXO_14:12!21|MId=o020140120211ה|Strong=1886a|Type=definite_article 33 מִּדְבָּֽר מִדְבָּר NOUN _ Gender=Masc|Number=Sing 29 obl _ Gloss=wilderness|Ref=EXO_14:12!21|MId=o020140120212|Strong=4057 34 ׃ ׃ PUNCT _ _ 33 punct _ Ref=EXO_14:12!21 ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} - form: command - act: request - voice: character - speech: a frame and its quote - negation: yes - the frame alone: decl · assert · neg | verb | form · stem | who (A0) | what, whom (A1) | to whom, further (A2) | who makes it happen (AA) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | דִּבַּרְנוּ *we spoke* | qatal · piel | | דָּבָר *word* | | | | אמֹר | infinitive construct · qal | | חֲדַל *cease* + נַֽעַבְדָה *that we may serve* | | | | חֲדַל *cease* | imperative · qal | | | | | | נַֽעַבְדָה *that we may serve* | cohortative · qal | | מִצְרָיִם *Egypt* | | | | עֲבֹד *serving* | infinitive construct · qal | | מִצְרַיִם *Egypt* | | | | מֻּת *than* | infinitive construct · qal | ֵנוּ *our dying* | | | | MACULA's semantic frames: for each verb the head word of each participant. A0 is the one who acts, A1 what the act is done to or is about, A2 a further participant; AA, with a causative verb, the one who makes it happen. ## Targum Onkelos {#onkelos} הֲלָא דֵין פִּתְגָמָא דִי מַלֵלְנָא עִמָךְ בְמִצְרַיִם לְמֵימַר שְׁבוֹק מִנָנָא וְנִפְלַח יָת מִצְרָאֵי אֲרֵי טַב לָנָא דְנִפְלַח יָת מִצְרָאֵי מִדִנְמוּת בְּמַדְבְּרָא: The Aramaic translation read beside the Hebrew. Text only: Mova has no Aramaic parser yet. ## English, JPS 1917 {#english} Each sentence on its own page, with its tree and pragmatics. A sentence that runs on into the next verse is listed under the verse it begins in. 1. [Is not this the word that we spoke unto thee in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.396/) 2. [For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.397/) **Hebrew text:** Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. **Tree, glosses and frames:** MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets, available at [github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-hebrew](https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-hebrew/), [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); converted to Universal Dependencies by Mova (words in text order, a prefix its own word). **Speech act:** Mova's rules on the MACULA words (`macula prag`). **Targum:** Onkelos (Torat Emet), Jonathan and the Writings (Mikraot Gedolot), from Sefaria, public domain. **English:** JPS 1917, public domain; trees and speech acts by Mova's cycle, frames by Mova's reader (Elamur Cosmic License). Hebrew sentence `wlc:EXO:368`. - ← previous: [Exodus 14:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.14.11/) - next →: [Exodus 14:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.14.13/) - ↑ back to [Exodus 14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO/14/)