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 word that names a person, place, thing, or idea — and in Arabic this includes proper names. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ is a proper name: '(of) 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 or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. ٱذْكُرُ is a command: 'Remember', 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 for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. وا۟ · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — ٱذْكُرُوا۟ — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
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 · R6
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 'who' or 'which' that hooks a whole describing sentence onto whoever or whatever it points to. ٱلَّتِىٓ · 'which' is the feminine singular form — used when it points to one person or thing Arabic treats as 'she'. Its shape is fixed: this word never changes its ending to show its job in the sentence. 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 or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. أَنْعَمْ speaks of an action already carried out: 'I bestowed', from the root نعم: to bestow favor, blessing; cattle, livestock; excellent. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past-tense verb describes an action already completed — and it shows who by a small ending fastened to the verb's tail. On أَنْعَمْتُ that ending is تُ, telling exactly who is meant: 'I bestowed', from the root نعم: to bestow favor, blessing; cattle, livestock; excellent. L8 · R2
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is a verb stamped into the pattern that adds a hamza to the front of its three root letters — the way سَلِمَ 'was safe' becomes أَسْلَمَ 'submitted' — often giving the sense of making or causing the action. أَنْعَمْ carries that added hamza at its front: 'I bestowed', from the root نعم: to bestow favor, blessing; cattle, livestock; excellent. L12 · R5
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. تُ · 'me/my' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — أَنْعَمْتُ — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
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 of one to three letters that works like glue — it connects or adjusts other words rather than naming something or describing an action, and it can never be the one a sentence is about. عَلَيْ · 'on/upon' is such a helper. L1 · R9
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little helper word that relates one thing to another; Arabic keeps a short list of them — small words like فِي 'in', مِنْ 'from', and عَلَىٰ 'on'. عَلَيْ · 'on/upon' is one of these relation-words — it is عَلَىٰ 'on' in the shape it takes when a suffix is fastened to its end. L4 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'me / us / them' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. كُمْ · 'you all/your' hangs on the little relation-word in عَلَيْكُمْ, governed by the word it is fastened to. 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 عطفThe prefix وَ at the front of وَأَوْفُوا۟ is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. أَوْفُ is a command: 'and fulfill', from the root وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, 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 a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of أَوْفُ is وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully — and not one but two of its letters are weak, و and ي: a doubly-weak root. L24 · R9
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is a verb stamped into the pattern that adds a hamza to the front of its three root letters — often giving the sense of making or causing the action — and the command shape keeps that added hamza. أَوْفُ carries it at its front: 'and fulfill', from the root وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully. L12 · R5
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. وا۟ · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — وَأَوْفُوا۟ — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
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 جرThe small prefix بِ at the front of بِعَهْدِىٓ is a preposition — a little helper word meaning 'in/with' that relates one thing to another. A preposition 'pulls' the word that follows it into the genitive relationship — the 'of / in / with' role a word plays after such a little helper — though not every word shows that role with the same visible ending. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. عَهْدِ names such a thing: 'My 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 noun (a naming word) takes after a preposition — a little word like 'in' or 'to' — and it is marked by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke written below the letter. عَهْدِ stands right after such a little word and carries exactly that kasrah ـِ on its own final letter — tucked inside بِعَهْدِىٓ, just before the small piece fastened to the word's end. 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 · R6
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 or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. أُوفِ is an action unfolding now: 'I will fulfill', from the root وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present-tense verb is the verb shape that opens with one of the four present-tense prefixes أ ن ي ت; small helper words before it can bend its time and mood. أُوفِ wears that present-tense shape, opening with exactly such a letter: 'I will fulfill', from the root وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully. 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 is a verb that carries و or ي — the 'weak' letters, which love to soften into long vowels or vanish — among its root letters. The root of أُوفِ is وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully — and not one but two of its letters are weak, و and ي: a doubly-weak root. L24 · R9
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَA Form IV verb is a verb stamped into the pattern that adds a hamza to the front of its three root letters; in the present tense this form announces itself instead by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the letter — sitting on the verb's opening prefix letter. أُوفِ carries exactly that ḍammah ـُ on its opening letter: 'I will fulfill', from the root وفي: to fulfill, pay in full, take in death, complete fully. L12 · R7
بِعَهْدِكُمْword 11
Preposition · حرف جرThe small prefix بِ at the front of بِعَهْدِكُمْ is a preposition — a little helper word meaning 'in/with' that relates one thing to another. A preposition 'pulls' the word that follows it into the genitive relationship — the 'of / in / with' role a word plays after such a little helper — though not every word shows that role with the same visible ending. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. عَهْدِ names such a thing: 'your covenant', from the root عهد: covenant, treaty, oath, promise. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every noun — every naming word — as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. بِعَهْدِكُمْ carries no feminine marker — no ة at its end, no final ى, no اء — so it takes the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a noun (a naming word) takes after a preposition — a little word like 'in' or 'to' — and it is marked by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke written below the letter. عَهْدِ stands right after such a little word and carries exactly that kasrah ـِ on its own final letter — tucked inside بِعَهْدِكُمْ, just before the small piece fastened to the word's end. 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 · R6
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 عطفThe prefix وَ at the front of وَإِيَّـٰىَ is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. 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 عطفThe prefix فَ at the front of فَٱرْهَبُونِ is a conjunction — a small joining word meaning 'and then' — linking what follows to what came before; the word it joins in must stand in the same grammatical case as its partner before the joint — the same role in the sentence, even when the two words write that case with different endings. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action or happening that is always tied to a time — past, present/future, or a command. ٱرْهَبُ is a command: 'fear [Me]', 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 for 'I / you / he' that cannot stand alone — it is glued onto the end of another word, and each form carries within it exactly who is meant. و · 'you all/your' is fastened to the tail of the verb here — فَٱرْهَبُونِ — naming the one who did the action. L3 · R6
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.”