God & Savior

Exodus 14:12

Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 14:12
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Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

הֲלֹא־זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבַּ֨רְנוּ אֵלֶ֤יךָ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חֲדַ֥ל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣ה אֶת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

  1. הֲלֹא־ha.lo'-“¿ not”
    Particle, interrogative + Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  2. זֶ֣הzeh“[is] this”
    Particle, demonstrative · from זֶה · “this” · Strong's H2088
  3. הַדָּבָ֗רha.da.Var“the word”
    Definite article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from דָּבָר · “thing” · Strong's H1697I
  4. אֲשֶׁר֩'a.Sher“which”
    Particle, relative · from אֲשֶׁר · “which” · Strong's H0834A
  5. דִּבַּ֨רְנוּdi.Bar.nu“we spoke”
    Verb, piel, perfect, 1st person, common, plural · from דָבַר · “speak” · Strong's H1696G
  6. אֵלֶ֤יךָ'e.Lei.kha“to you”
    Preposition + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from אֶל · “to(wards)” · Strong's H0413
  7. בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ve.mitz.Ra.yim“in Egypt”
    Preposition + Noun, proper name of a place · from מִצְרַ֫יִם · “Egypt” · Strong's H4714G
  8. לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor“<to> saying”
    Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common · from אָמַר · “to say” · Strong's H0559
  9. חֲדַ֥לcha.Dal“cease”
    Verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from חָדַל · “to cease” · Strong's H2308
  10. מִמֶּ֖נּוּmi.Me.nu“from us”
    Preposition + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, plural · from מִן־ · “from” · Strong's H4480A
  11. וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣הve.na.'av.Dah“so let us serve”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, 1st person, common, plural · from עָבַד · “serve[someone]” · Strong's H5647G
  12. אֶת־'et-“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  13. מִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yim“Egypt”
    Noun, proper name of a place · from מִצְרִי · “Egyptian” · Strong's H4713
  14. כִּ֣יki“for”
    Particle · from כִּי · “for” · Strong's H3588A
  15. ט֥וֹבTov“[is] better”
    Adjective, masculine, singular, absolute · from טוֹב · “pleasant” · Strong's H2896A
  16. לָ֙נוּ֙la.nu“for us”
    Preposition + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, plural · from Op1c · “us” · Strong's H9035
  17. עֲבֹ֣ד'a.Vod“serving”
    Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common · from עָבַד · “serve[someone]” · Strong's H5647G
  18. אֶת־'et-“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  19. מִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yim“Egypt”
    Noun, proper name of a place · from מִצְרִי · “Egyptian” · Strong's H4713
  20. מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּmi.mu.Te.nu“than to die us”
    Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, plural · from מוּת · “to die” · Strong's H4191
  21. בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ba.mid.Bar“in the wilderness”
    Preposition with article + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from מִדְבָּר · “wilderness” · Strong's H4057B
Places named in this verse
  • Places: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0. Coordinates from OpenStreetMap (ODbL) are left out. Source (version 7eb18a5)
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)