כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹתֹ֖ו לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֹֽור׃
When you lay siege to a city for many days to fight against it and capture it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them, for you may eat from them, and you must not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should come against you in the siege?
Morphology
- כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר (ki-tatzur) – Root: צור (tzur); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “When you lay siege”; Notes: Indicates the beginning of a conditional clause.
- אֶל־עִיר֩ (el-ir) – Root: עיר (ir); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “to a city”; Notes: Refers to the target of the siege.
- יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים (yamim rabbim) – Root: יום (yom), רב (rav); Form: Noun, masculine plural with adjective; Translation: “for many days”; Notes: Specifies the duration of the siege.
- לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם (lehilachem) – Root: לחם (lacham); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to fight”; Notes: Indicates the purpose of the siege.
- עָלֶ֣יהָ (aleha) – Root: על (al); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against it”; Notes: Refers to the city under siege.
- לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ (letafsah) – Root: תפס (tafes); Form: Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to capture it”; Notes: Further describes the purpose of the siege.
- לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית (lo-tashchit) – Root: שחת (shachat); Form: Hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you must not destroy”; Notes: A prohibition against damaging the trees.
- אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ (et-etzah) – Root: עץ (etz); Form: Noun, masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “its trees”; Notes: Refers to the trees of the besieged city.
- לִנְדֹּ֤חַ (lindoch) – Root: נדח (nadach); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to wield”; Notes: Describes the act of cutting down trees.
- עָלָיו֙ (alav) – Root: על (al); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “against it”; Notes: Refers to the tree.
- גַּרְזֶ֔ן (garzen) – Root: גרזן (garzen); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “an axe”; Notes: Tool used for cutting trees.
- כִּ֚י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- מִמֶּ֣נּוּ (mimenu) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from it”; Notes: Refers to the tree as a source of food.
- תֹאכֵ֔ל (toʾchel) – Root: אכל (achal); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you may eat”; Notes: Permitted action.
- וְאֹתֹ֖ו (ve-oto) – Root: את (et); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and it”; Notes: Refers back to the tree.
- לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת (lo-tichrot) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you must not cut down”; Notes: Prohibition against cutting the tree.
- כִּ֤י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- הָֽאָדָם֙ (ha-adam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to the tree.
- עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה (etz ha-sadeh) – Root: עץ (etz), שדה (sadeh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “a tree of the field”; Notes: Refers to the trees surrounding the city.
- לָבֹ֥א (lavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to come”; Notes: Indicates movement.
- מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ (mipanecha) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before you”; Notes: Refers to the siege situation.
- בַּמָּצֹֽור׃ (ba-matzor) – Root: מצר (matzor); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the siege”; Notes: Describes the context of the action.