Deuteronomy 21:3

וְהָיָ֣ה הָעִ֔יר הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל וְלָֽקְח֡וּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֜וא עֶגְלַ֣ת בָּקָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־עֻבַּד֙ בָּ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מָשְׁכָ֖ה בְּעֹֽל׃

And it shall be, the city nearest to the slain one, the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked with and has not drawn a yoke.

Morphology

1. וְהָיָ֣ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional result.
2. הָעִ֔יר (ha-ir) – Root: עיר (ir); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to the nearest city.
3. הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה (ha-kerovah) – Root: קרב (qarav); Form: Adjective, feminine singular; Translation: “nearest”; Notes: Describes the city’s proximity to the slain person.
4. אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל (el-heḥalal) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “to the slain one”; Notes: Refers to the unidentified victim.
5. וְלָֽקְח֡וּ (ve-lakḥu) – Root: לקח (laqakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they shall take”; Notes: Refers to the city’s elders performing the ritual.
6. זִקְנֵי֩ (ziqnei) – Root: זקן (zaqen); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “elders of”; Notes: Indicates the leaders of the city.
7. הָעִ֨יר (ha-ir) – Root: עיר (ir); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to the city that is nearest.
8. הַהִ֜וא (ha-hi) – Root: -; Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that one”; Notes: Emphasizes the specific city in question.
9. עֶגְלַ֣ת (ʿeglat) – Root: עגל (ʿegel); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “a heifer of”; Notes: Refers to a young female cow.
10. בָּקָ֗ר (baqar) – Root: בקר (baqar); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the herd”; Notes: Indicates the type of animal selected.
11. אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Root: -; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a descriptive clause.
12. לֹֽא־עֻבַּד֙ (lo-ʿubad) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Pual perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has not been worked”; Notes: Indicates the heifer was never used for labor.
13. בָּ֔הּ (bah) – Root: -; Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers back to the heifer.
14. אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: -; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces another descriptive clause.
15. לֹא־מָשְׁכָ֖ה (lo-mashkah) – Root: משך (mashakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has not drawn”; Notes: Indicates that the heifer was never yoked.
16. בְּעֹֽל׃ (be-ʿol) – Root: על (ʿol); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “a yoke”; Notes: Refers to the restraint used for plowing.