כֹּה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ בָּֽרִאשֹׁון֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ תִּקַּ֥ח פַּר־בֶּן־בָּקָ֖ר תָּמִ֑ים וְחִטֵּאתָ֖ אֶת־הַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃
Thus says the Lord YHWH: “In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a bull, a son of the herd, without blemish, and you shall purify the sanctuary.
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces a divine declaration formula, marking the start of prophetic speech.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Standard prophetic expression “Thus says YHWH.”
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural of majesty in construct; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Title of authority and rulership, used in reverence before the divine name.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God, expressing eternal self-existence.
- בָּרִאשֹׁון (ba-rishon) – Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite adjective masculine singular; Translation: “in the first”; Notes: Refers to the first month of the year (Nisan).
- בְּאֶחָד (be-eḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Preposition בְּ + numeral masculine singular; Translation: “on the first”; Notes: Specifies the date — the first day of the month.
- לַחֹדֶשׁ (la-ḥodesh) – Root: חדשׁ (ḥodesh); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of the month”; Notes: Refers to the calendrical month, usually reckoned from the new moon.
- תִּקַּח (tiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall take”; Notes: Instruction directed to the priest or prince to perform a ritual act.
- פַּר (par) – Root: פרר (parar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a bull”; Notes: A mature male bovine used in sin offerings and purification rites.
- בֶּן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “a son of”; Notes: Part of a construct phrase indicating lineage or classification — “son of the herd.”
- בָּקָר (baqar) – Root: בקר (baqar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the herd”; Notes: Denotes cattle in general, especially male oxen used for sacrifice.
- תָּמִים (tamim) – Root: תמם (tamam); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “without blemish”; Notes: Indicates ritual purity and physical perfection required for sacrificial animals.
- וְחִטֵּאתָ (ve-ḥitteʾta) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall purify”; Notes: Piel form emphasizes cleansing or expiating sin, often through sacrificial ritual.
- אֶת־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (et-ha-miqdash) – Root: קדשׁ (qadash); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sanctuary”; Notes: Refers to the holy temple or sacred precinct being ritually purified.