עַל־כֵּ֡ן לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ֩ כֹהֲנֵ֨י דָגֹ֜ון וְכָֽל־הַבָּאִ֧ים בֵּית־דָּגֹ֛ון עַל־מִפְתַּ֥ן דָּגֹ֖ון בְּאַשְׁדֹּ֑וד עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃ ס
Therefore, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod until this day.
Morphology
- עַל־כֵּ֡ן (ʿal-ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a consequence.
- לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ֩ (lo-yidreku) – Root: דרך (darakh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “do not tread”; Notes: Expresses an ongoing prohibition.
- כֹהֲנֵ֨י (kohanei) – Root: כהן (kohen); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the priests of”; Notes: Refers to Dagon’s priests.
- דָגֹ֜ון (Dagon) – Root: דגון (Dagon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Dagon”; Notes: The Philistine deity.
- וְכָֽל־הַבָּאִ֧ים (ve-kol-ha-baʾim) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal active participle masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “and all who enter”; Notes: Refers to temple visitors.
- בֵּית־דָּגֹ֛ון (beit-Dagon) – Root: בית (bayit) + דגון (Dagon); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “the house of Dagon”; Notes: Refers to the temple.
- עַל־מִפְתַּ֥ן (ʿal-miftan) – Root: מפתן (miftan); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “upon the threshold”; Notes: Indicates the place they avoid.
- דָגֹ֖ון (Dagon) – Root: דגון (Dagon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “of Dagon”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- בְּאַשְׁדֹּ֑וד (be-Ashdod) – Root: אשדוד (Ashdod); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “in Ashdod”; Notes: Location of the event.
- עַ֖ד (ʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Marks duration.
- הַיֹּ֥ום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “this day”; Notes: Refers to the time of writing.
- הַזֶּֽה׃ (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Reinforces the timeframe.