21st Century Bible Hebrew -- Genesis 4:1-4, va-y'hi plus time expression

Genesis 4:1-4

 

Ready to pick up the pace some more?

 

א וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֨הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֹֽה:

ב וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֨בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה:

ג וַיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֹֽה:

ד וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ:

 

Translation:     The man had known Chavvah his wife; she conceived and gave birth to Qain, she said I have obtained a man with the Lord.

She added birthing his brother, Hevel; Hevel must have been herding sheep but Qain was [one] working the earth.

It must have been at the end of years, that Qain brought some of the fruit of the ground as a minchah to the Lord.

Hevel brought, he, some of the firstlings of his flock and some of their chelev; the Lord must have looked at Hevel and his minchah.

 

What aspect is the first verb in this chapter?  Right, perfect aspect.  So this is a new narrative.

 

In verse three we find a new use of va-y’hi.  When it is used with a time expression, think of it this way.  When us old guys tell stories about their past, we might start up with “It must have been when I was about 22 that ….” And the story follows. 

 

Va-y’hi plus a time expression starts an episode that is crucial to a larger narrative.  You’ll see it again in Genesis 14 at the start of the war of the kings, and Genesis 22 at the start of the Akedah.

 

Vocabulary in this lesson:

תַּהַר	Get pregnant
תֵּלֶד	Birth (v)
קָנִיתִי	I have acquired
תֹּסֶף	added
רֹעֵה	herder
צֹאן	sheep
יַּלְבִּשֵׁם	Dressed them
מִקֵּץ	At the end
מִנְחָה	Grain offering and by extension late afternoon prayer service
בְּכֹרוֹת	Firstlings of animals
חֶלְבֵהֶן	Their chelev
יִּשַׁע	Turn to