O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me], and be afraid of [only] Me.
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
(O Children of Israel,)
Root بني — yes · 184 times in the Quran
يَـٰبَنِىٓword 1
Vocative Particle · حرف نداءA vocative particle is a calling word like يَا 'O!' placed before a naming word to address someone directly. The prefix يَٰ here opens the call: 'O Children of Israel'. L4 · R8
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, place, thing, or group. بَنِىٓ names the children — the sons and descendants — being addressed. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more. The sound masculine plural carries its role in its ending — ـُونَ for the nominative (the 'subject form', with the ḍammah ـُ sound), ـِينَ for the accusative and genitive (the 'object' and 'of' forms); بَنِىٓ carries the ـِي of that ending, its ن dropped because the word is chained to 'Israel' in an 'of' pairing: 'Children OF Israel'. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the landed-on ending, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. For this kind of plural the accusative shows itself instead in the ending ـِينَ, whose ن has here dropped away for the 'of' chain, leaving بَنِى: the called ones stand in that accusative role. L2 · R11
Vocative · المُنَادَىThe vocative is the person or group being called after يَا 'O!'. بَنِىٓ is that called one, formed by يَا plus the naming word: 'O Children…' — the whole nation of Israel's descendants addressed at once. L21 · R2
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَword 2
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word — it covers proper names. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is the proper name Israel. L1 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the owner's ending in an 'of' phrase, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is a non-Arabic proper name, one of the partially flexible words that never take that kasrah and wear a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke ABOVE the last letter — in its place; the fathah ـَ you see on its لَ is this word's genitive dress. L2 · R14
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains two naming words into an 'of' phrase, and the second — the owner — is always in the genitive, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is that owner-half of 'Children of Israel'; being a foreign proper name it shows the genitive with a fathah ـَ instead of the kasrah. L5 · R5
Israel is Prophet Ya'qub (Jacob). Allah reminded the Children of Israel with the example of their father — as if saying, "O children of the pious, righteous servant of Allah who obeyed Allah! Be like your father, following the truth."
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40
ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ
(…remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you)
Root ذكر — recollection, admonition, remembrance · 292 times in the Quran
Root نعم — to bestow favor, blessing; cattle, livestock; excellent · 140 times in the Quran
ٱذْكُرُوا۟word 3
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱذْكُرُ names an action — remembering — from the root ذكر: recollection, admonition, remembrance. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱذْكُرُوا۟ shows that helping ٱ, commanding a group: 'remember!' — the ending وا۟ pointing the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on ٱذْكُرُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all' — those commanded to remember. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on ٱذْكُرُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
نِعْمَتِىَword 4
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. نِعْمَتِ names a favor — a blessing — from the root نعم, to bestow favor, blessing. L1 · R6
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she', typically marked by a ة at its end. The base word here is نِعْمَة 'favor', ending in that ة; when an ending is glued on, the ة is written as an open ت — the تِ you see in نِعْمَتِىَ. L2 · R1
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, usually shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. On نِعْمَتِىَ the last letter is claimed by the 'My' ending ىَ, so no fathah appears on the word itself — the accusative is the role it fills as what is to be remembered. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. 'My favor' is what the remembering must land on; with the 'My' ending claiming the word's tail, the accusative here is the role rather than a visible mark. L9 · R3
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'my' glued onto the end of another word. The ending ىَ on نِعْمَتِىَ stands for 'My': 'MY favor'. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending ىَ 'My' is that owner glued onto نِعْمَتِ: 'the favor of Me'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5
ٱلَّتِىٓword 5
Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun is a word like 'which' that hooks a whole describing sentence onto a specific naming word, matching it in gender and number. ٱلَّتِىٓ is the form for one 'she'-word, matching نِعْمَة 'favor', and it hooks on the sentence 'I bestowed upon you'. L5 · R13
Adjective · صفةAn adjective is a describing word that comes after its noun. ٱلَّتِىٓ, with its clause 'which I bestowed upon you', follows 'My favor' and describes it, agreeing with it as one, feminine, and definite; its own written shape is fixed. L7 · R1
أَنْعَمْتُword 6
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَنْعَمْ names an action — bestowing favor — from the root نعم, to bestow favor, blessing. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb carries its person marker as an ending glued to the verb's tail. On أَنْعَمْتُ that ending is تُ, the 'I' marker — note the sukūn ـْ, the small circle above the مْ, closing the verb before it — and the أَ at the front belongs to the verb's Form IV pattern, not to any present-tense prefix: 'I bestowed'. L8 · R2
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is identified by a hamza added to the front of the root letters in the past tense, usually giving a causing sense. أَنْعَمْتُ opens with exactly that added hamza أَ before its root نعم: to CAUSE blessing to come upon someone — 'I bestowed'. L12 · R5
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending تُ on أَنْعَمْتُ is such a suffix, standing for 'I'. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending تُ on أَنْعَمْتُ is that doer, 'I' — Allah, the giver of the favor; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no separate ḍammah role-mark appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
عَلَيْكُمْword 7
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. عَلَيْ is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. عَلَى 'on/upon', written عَلَيْ before its ending, is one of the common prepositions: bestowed 'upon you'. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending كُمْ on عَلَيْكُمْ stands for 'you all' — those the favor came upon. L3 · R6
Mujahid said Allah's favor to them was that He made water gush from stones, sent down manna and quails for them, and saved them from being enslaved by Pharaoh; Abu Al-'Aliyah said it was His sending Prophets and Messengers among them and revealing Books to them.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40
So far: “O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you”
وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِىٓ
(…and fulfill My covenant [upon you])
Root وفي — to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully · 66 times in the Quran
Root عهد — covenant, treaty, oath, promise · 46 times in the Quran
وَأَوْفُوا۟word 8
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word like 'and' that ties one command to another. The prefix وَ joins the command to fulfill onto the command to remember. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَوْفُ names an action — fulfilling — from the root وفي, to fulfill, pay in full, complete fully. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you'. أَوْفُوا۟ is that command form, telling a group 'fulfill!' — the ending وا۟ pointing the order at 'you all'. L10 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي — letters that love to soften or vanish. The root of أَوْفُ is وفي: its final weak ي has dropped away in this command shape, leaving the word one letter shorter than expected. L24 · R2
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is identified by a hamza added to the front of the root letters, usually giving a causing sense. أَوْفُوا۟ opens with exactly that added hamza أَ before its root وفي: to carry fulfillment through completely — 'fulfill in full'. L12 · R5
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وا۟ on وَأَوْفُوا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'you all'. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وا۟ on وَأَوْفُوا۟ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
بِعَهْدِىٓword 9
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ ties the fulfilling to its object: fulfill 'My covenant'. L4 · R2
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. عَهْدِ names a covenant, from the root عهد — covenant, treaty, oath, promise. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. عَهْدِ carries that kasrah ـِ because بِ stands before it. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'my' glued onto the end of another word. The ending ىٓ on بِعَهْدِىٓ stands for 'My': 'MY covenant'. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending ىٓ 'My' is that owner glued onto عَهْدِ: 'the covenant of Me'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5
Abu Al-'Aliyah said His covenant with His servants is to embrace Islam and adhere to it; others said it is what Allah took from them in the Tawrah — that He would send a great Prophet from the offspring of Isma'il, obeyed by all peoples.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40
أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ
(…that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me],)
Root وفي — to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully · 66 times in the Quran
Root عهد — covenant, treaty, oath, promise · 46 times in the Quran
أُوفِword 10
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أُوفِ names an action — fulfilling — from the root وفي, to fulfill, pay in full, complete fully. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb is identified by one of the four prefix letters remembered as أَنَيْتُ. أُوفِ opens with the hamza prefix — the 'I' letter — standing before the root letters: 'I will fulfill'. L8 · R3
Jussive Mood · الفعل المجزومThe jussive is the trimmed-down mood of a present tense verb, usually marked by a sukūn ـْ — a small circle above the final letter. On a verb whose root ends in a weak letter the trim removes that letter instead: أُوفِ has lost its final ي, ending at the kasrah ـِ — the small stroke below the ف — that marks the cut. The trimmed form here carries the promise answering the command: fulfill My covenant, then I fulfill yours. L10 · R5
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb has و or ي among its root letters, and those weak letters love to vanish. The root of أُوفِ is وفي; its final ي is dropped here, and the kasrah ـِ — the small stroke below the ف — is the fingerprint the deleted letter left behind. L24 · R8
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb adds a hamza to the front of its root in the past tense; in the present tense this family shows itself by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl — on the person prefix. The أُ opening أُوفِ carries exactly that ḍammah: the 'fulfill in full' verb, now promised by Allah Himself. L12 · R7
بِعَهْدِكُمْword 11
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ ties the fulfilling to its object: 'your covenant'. L4 · R2
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. عَهْدِ names a covenant, from the root عهد — covenant, treaty, oath, promise. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. عَهْدِ carries that kasrah ـِ because بِ stands before it. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'your' glued onto the end of another word. The ending كُمْ on بِعَهْدِكُمْ stands for 'you all': 'YOUR covenant'. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending كُمْ 'you all' is that owner glued onto عَهْدِ: 'the covenant of you'. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5
Ibn 'Abbas said, "'I fulfill My obligations to you' means, 'I (Allah) will be pleased with you and admit you into Paradise.'" As-Suddi, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Al-'Aliyah and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas said similarly.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40
So far: “O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me],”
وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ
(…and be afraid of [only] Me.)
Root رهب — to fear, to dread, awe · 12 times in the Quran
وَإِيَّـٰىَword 12
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word meaning 'and' that ties one statement to another. The prefix وَ joins this final charge to the commands before it. L4 · R4
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I / you / he'. إِيَّا is the special detached pronoun used when the one an action lands on is announced before the action itself, and the ـٰىَ fastened to it specifies who: 'Me'. Placed first like this, it carries the force of 'Me alone'. L3 · R5
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one an action lands on. Arabic normally puts the action-word first; announcing the object before it — إِيَّٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ, 'Me — so fear' — signals emphasis and exclusivity, restricting the fear to Allah alone. L9 · R6
فَٱرْهَبُونِword 13
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word; فَ means 'and then / so', joining what follows in close sequence. The prefix فَ fastens the command 'fear' tightly onto the fronted 'Me alone'. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. ٱرْهَبُ names an action — fearing — from the root رهب, to fear, to dread, awe. L1 · R7
Imperative Verb · فعل أمرAn imperative verb is a direct command addressed to 'you', formed from the present-tense verb by removing its prefix and adding a helping ٱ when what remains starts with a vowelless letter. ٱرْهَبُ shows that helping ٱ, commanding a group: 'fear!'. L10 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. فَٱرْهَبُونِ carries two: the و standing for 'you all', those commanded, and the closing نِ standing for 'me' — the One to be feared. L3 · R7
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The و in فَٱرْهَبُونِ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. The closing نِ of فَٱرْهَبُونِ stands for 'me': the fear is to land on Allah alone. A pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so no fathah appears — the accusative is the role it fills. L9 · R5
Ibn 'Abbas said this means, "Fear the torment that I might exert on you, just as I did with your fathers." The Ayah contains encouragement followed by warning: Allah first called the Children of Israel with encouragement, then warned them, so that they might return to the Truth.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:40
So far: “O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and fulfill My covenant [upon you] that I will fulfill your covenant [from Me], and be afraid of [only] Me.”