כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה גֵּ֤ה גְבוּל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתְנַחֲל֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ לִשְׁנֵ֥י עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יֹוסֵ֖ף חֲבָלִֽים׃
Thus says the Lord YHWH: “This is the border by which you shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Yisraʾel; Yosef shall have two portions.
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כֹּה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Common introductory particle in prophetic declarations indicating direct divine speech.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אָמַר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Indicates a completed act of divine utterance.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אָדֹון (ʾadon); Form: Proper noun, plural of majesty; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Refers to the sovereign title of God when paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal covenant name of God, often translated “LORD.”
- גֵּה (geh) – Root: גֵּה (geh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “This is the boundary”; Notes: Likely an emphatic or demonstrative exclamation introducing the boundary description.
- גְבוּל (gevul) – Root: גָּבַל (gaval); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “border” or “boundary”; Notes: Refers to territorial limits set by divine decree.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which” or “that”; Notes: Introduces the clause specifying how the land is to be inherited.
- תִּתְנַחֲלוּ (titnaḥalu) – Root: נָחַל (naḥal); Form: Hitpael imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall inherit”; Notes: Reflexive/reciprocal form indicating the division or allotment of land among themselves.
- אֶת־הָאָרֶץ (ʾet-ha-ʾarets) – Root: אֶרֶץ (ʾerets); Form: Object marker אֶת + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “inherit.”
- לִשְׁנֵי (lishnei) – Root: שְׁנַיִם (shenayim); Form: Preposition לְ + dual form of the numeral; Translation: “according to two”; Notes: Functions within the larger phrase “twelve tribes.”
- עָשָׂר (ʿasar) – Root: עָשָׂר (ʿasar); Form: Numeral masculine singular construct; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Completes the compound numeral “twelve.”
- שִׁבְטֵי (shivtei) – Root: שֵׁבֶט (shevet); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “tribes of”; Notes: Indicates collective divisions of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שׂרה (sarah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the twelve-tribe nation descended from Yaʿaqov.
- יֹוסֵף (Yosef) – Root: יָסַף (yasaf); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: Represents the tribe of Yosef, which received two portions through his sons Ephrayim and Menasheh.
- חֲבָלִים (ḥavalim) – Root: חֵבֶל (ḥevel); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “portions” or “allotments”; Notes: Refers to territorial divisions granted as inheritance.