וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־לֹ֧א חָפַ֣צְתָּ בָּ֗הּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ֙ לְנַפְשָׁ֔הּ וּמָכֹ֥ר לֹא־תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה בַּכָּ֑סֶף לֹא־תִתְעַמֵּ֣ר בָּ֔הּ תַּ֖חַת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִנִּיתָֽהּ׃ ס
And it shall be, if you do not desire her, then you shall let her go freely, but you shall not sell her for silver. You shall not mistreat her, because you have humbled her.
Morphology
- וְהָיָ֞ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Standard introductory phrase for a conditional clause.
- אִם־לֹ֧א חָפַ֣צְתָּ (im-lo ḥafaṣta) – Root: חפץ (ḥafaṣ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “if you do not desire”; Notes: Expresses a condition.
- בָּ֗הּ (bah) – Root: ב (b); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to the captive woman.
- וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ֙ (ve-shillaḥtah) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “then you shall let her go”; Notes: Indicates active release.
- לְנַפְשָׁ֔הּ (le-nafshah) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “freely” or “to her own soul”; Notes: Idiomatic for granting independence.
- וּמָכֹ֥ר (u-makhor) – Root: מכר (makhar); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “but selling”; Notes: Strengthens the prohibition against selling her.
- לֹא־תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה (lo timkerennah) – Root: מכר (makhar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “you shall not sell her”; Notes: Absolute prohibition.
- בַּכָּ֑סֶף (ba-kasef) – Root: כסף (kasef); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “for silver”; Notes: Denotes monetary exchange.
- לֹא־תִתְעַמֵּ֣ר (lo titʿamer) – Root: עמר (ʿamar); Form: Hitpael imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall not mistreat her”; Notes: Denotes oppressive or exploitative behavior.
- בָּ֔הּ (bah) – Root: ב (b); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her”; Notes: Clarifies the object of mistreatment.
- תַּ֖חַת (taḥat) – Root: תחת (taḥat); Form: Preposition; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces causal reasoning.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִנִּיתָֽהּ (asher ʿinnitah) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “because you have humbled her”; Notes: Indicates past mistreatment.