מְצָאָ֣תַ/ם

𐤌𐤑𐤀𐤕/𐤌

mâtsâʼ

had befallen them

To find, encounter, come across, or attain; to meet with (a person, object, circumstance, or result), either through search, chance, or providence. Also conveys the sense of being discovered, appearing, or being present/available. Depending on context, encompasses both literal discovery or acquisition and figurative senses such as being able, sufficing, or occurrence (an event befalling someone).

H4672

Exodus 18:8 · Word #18

Lexicon H4672

Lemmaמָצָא
Lemma (Paleo)𐤌𐤑𐤀
Transliterationmâtsâʼ
Strong'sH4672
DefinitionTo find, encounter, come across, or attain; to meet with (a person, object, circumstance, or result), either through search, chance, or providence. Also conveys the sense of being discovered, appearing, or being present/available. Depending on context, encompasses both literal discovery or acquisition and figurative senses such as being able, sufficing, or occurrence (an event befalling someone).

Morphology HVqp3fs/Sp3mp All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state
Binyan q — Qal — Simple active
Conjugation p — Perfect — Completed action
Person 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they")
Gender f — Feminine — Feminine
Number s — Singular — Singular

Common Translation

Phrasehad befallen them

SIBI-P1 Translation H4672-33

she found them

Morphological NotesQal perfect, 3rd feminine singular subject + 3rd masculine plural pronominal suffix (object).
Rendering RationaleThe Qal perfect 3rd feminine singular form indicates a completed action by a feminine subject, and the 3rd masculine plural suffix marks "them" as the object. The rendering preserves the core root sense of actively finding or encountering.

View full lexicon entry for H4672 →

SILEX v2

SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)

befell them

Same as P1No — adjusted for context
Rationale'she found them' is a literal gloss but the context is passive adversity; the idiomatic English for מְצָאָתַם in this narrative is 'befell them'.
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