King James Version

Exodus 12:26

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

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Hebrew

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וְהָיָ֕הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יֹאמְר֥וּyomrvsayאָמַרverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֲלֵיכֶ֖םaleykhemamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).בְּנֵיכֶ֑םbeneykhemsonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […מָ֛הmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.הָעֲבֹדָ֥הhaavodahthe workעֲבֹדָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the work”, the ordinary formH5656work of any kindact, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought.הַזֹּ֖אתhazotthe thisזֹאתdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, feminine, singular — “the this”H2063this (often used adverb)hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.לָכֶֽםlakhemtoלָכֶֽםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you: What mean ye by this service?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Young’s Literal Translation

and it hath come to pass when your sons say unto you, What [is] this service ye have?

World English Bible

It will happen, when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’

Darby Translation

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, What mean ye by this service?

Douay-Rheims

And when your children shall say to you: What is the meaning of this service?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you: What mean ye by this service?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And it shall come to pass, if your sons say to you, What is this service?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐσται ἐὰν λέγωσι πρὸς ὑμᾶς οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν, τίς ἡ λατρεία αὕτη;