לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה כֵ֔ן לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּי֩ כָּל־תֹּועֲבַ֨ת יְהוָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׂנֵ֗א עָשׂוּ֙ לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֣י גַ֤ם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵ֖שׁ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
You shall not do so to YHWH your God, for every abomination to YHWH, which He hates, they have done for their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they burn in the fire to their gods.
Morphology
- לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה (lo-taʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall not do”; Notes: Prohibition against imitating pagan practices.
- כֵ֔ן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Refers to the practices of the nations.
- לַיהוָ֖ה (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: Refers to God, the object of worship.
- אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (ʾelohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Refers to the deity of Israel.
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides the reason for the command.
- כָל־תֹּועֲבַ֨ת (kol-toʿavat) – Root: תועבה (toʿavah); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “every abomination of”; Notes: Refers to detestable practices.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- שָׂנֵ֗א (sane) – Root: שנא (sane); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He hates”; Notes: Refers to what is detestable to God.
- עָשׂוּ֙ (ʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have done”; Notes: Refers to the actions of the nations.
- לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם (le-eloheihem) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for their gods”; Notes: Refers to the deities of the nations.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides further explanation.
- גַ֤ם (gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “even”; Notes: Emphasizes the following statement.
- אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ (et-beneihem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their sons”; Notes: Refers to their male children.
- וְאֶת־בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם (ve-et-benoteihem) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their daughters”; Notes: Refers to their female children.
- יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ (yisrefu) – Root: שרף (saraf); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they burn”; Notes: Refers to the act of sacrificing by fire.
- בָאֵ֖שׁ (ba-esh) – Root: אש (ʾesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition; Translation: “in the fire”; Notes: Refers to the method of sacrifice.
- לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ (le-eloheihem) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to their gods”; Notes: Refers to their pagan deities.