וּבָנִ֤יתָ שָּׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ מִזְבַּ֣ח אֲבָנִ֔ים לֹא־תָנִ֥יף עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם בַּרְזֶֽל׃
And you shall build there an altar to YHWH your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield iron upon them.
Morphology
- וּבָנִ֤יתָ (u-vanita) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And you shall build”; Notes: Command to construct the altar.
- שָּׁם֙ (sham) – Root: N/A; Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies the location for building the altar.
- מִזְבֵּ֔חַ (mizbeach) – Root: זבח (zavach); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “altar”; Notes: Refers to a place of offering sacrifices.
- לַיהוָ֖ה (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun with prepositional prefix; Translation: “to YHWH”; Notes: Denotes dedication to God.
- אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (Elohekha) – Root: אלהים (Elohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Indicates personal relationship with YHWH.
- מִזְבַּ֣ח אֲבָנִ֔ים (mizbach avanim) – Root: זבח (zavach), אבן (even); Form: Construct phrase, masculine singular noun with plural noun; Translation: “an altar of stones”; Notes: Specifies the material for the altar.
- לֹא־תָנִ֥יף (lo-tanif) – Root: נוף (nuf); Form: Hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular with negative particle; Translation: “you shall not wield”; Notes: Prohibition against altering the stones.
- עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (aleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon them”; Notes: Refers to the stones of the altar.
- בַּרְזֶֽל׃ (barzel) – Root: N/A; Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “iron”; Notes: Symbolizes tools or weapons, which are forbidden for use on the altar stones.