וְכֹ֗ל זִקְנֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔וא הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל יִרְחֲצוּ֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה בַנָּֽחַל׃
Then all the elders of that city, who are nearest to the slain, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.
Morphology
- וְכֹ֗ל (ve-kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “Then all”; Notes: Denotes the entire group.
- זִקְנֵי֙ (ziqnei) – Root: זקן (zaqen); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the elders of”; Notes: Refers to the city leaders.
- הָעִ֣יר (ha-ir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Specifies the location.
- הַהִ֔וא (ha-hi) – Root: -; Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the specific city.
- הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים (ha-kerovim) – Root: קרב (qarov); Form: Adjective, masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “who are nearest”; Notes: Describes proximity to the slain.
- אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל (el-ha-ḥalal) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “to the slain”; Notes: Indicates the subject of the ritual.
- יִרְחֲצוּ֙ (yirḥatsu) – Root: רחץ (raḥats); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “shall wash”; Notes: Describes the ritual action.
- אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם (et-yedeihem) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun, feminine dual construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their hands”; Notes: Specifies what is being washed.
- עַל־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה (ʿal-ha-ʿeglah) – Root: עגל (ʿegel); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition and definite article; Translation: “over the heifer”; Notes: Indicates the object of the ritual.
- הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה (ha-ʿarufah) – Root: ערף (ʿaraf); Form: Nifal participle, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “whose neck was broken”; Notes: Refers to the ritual killing.
- בַנָּֽחַל׃ (ba-naḥal) – Root: נחל (naḥal); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the valley”; Notes: Specifies the location of the ritual.