וְהָיָ֣ה מִגְרָשׁ֮ לָעִיר֒ צָפֹ֨ונָה֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתַ֔יִם וְנֶ֖גְבָּה חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וְקָדִ֨ימָה֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתַ֔יִם וְיָ֖מָּה חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃
And the open space for the city shall be to the north two hundred and fifty, and to the south two hundred and fifty, and to the east two hundred and fifty, and to the west two hundred and fifty.
Morphology
- וְהָיָה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Introduces the description of the city’s open space, indicating a future or designated state.
- מִגְרָשׁ (migrash) – Root: גרשׁ (garash); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “open space” or “common land”; Notes: Refers to the surrounding land allocated for public use around the city.
- לָעִיר (la-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “for the city”; Notes: Specifies that the described open area belongs to the city’s domain.
- צָפֹונָה (tsafonah) – Root: צפן (tsafan); Form: Noun masculine singular with directional ending; Translation: “northward”; Notes: Indicates the first measured direction for the open space.
- חֲמִשִּׁים (ḥamishim) – Root: חמשׁ (ḥamesh); Form: Numeral plural; Translation: “fifty”; Notes: Part of the numerical measure of the city’s open area.
- וּמָאתַיִם (u-maʾatayim) – Root: מאה (meʾah); Form: Conjunction וְ + dual numeral; Translation: “and two hundred”; Notes: Combined with “fifty” to form “two hundred and fifty.”
- וְנֶגְבָּה (ve-negbah) – Root: נֶגֶב (negev); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun with directional ending; Translation: “and southward”; Notes: Describes the southern direction, mirroring the northern measurement.
- חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם (ḥamishim u-maʾatayim) – Root: חמשׁ (ḥamesh), מאה (meʾah); Form: Numerals; Translation: “two hundred and fifty”; Notes: Repeated identical measure applied to each direction, denoting symmetry.
- וְקָדִימָה (ve-qadimah) – Root: קדם (qadam); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun with directional ending; Translation: “and eastward”; Notes: Marks the eastern measurement extending from the city center.
- וְיָמָּה (ve-yammah) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun with directional ending; Translation: “and westward”; Notes: Refers to the direction “toward the sea,” idiomatically the west, completing the fourfold symmetry of the city’s open spaces.