אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יַכֶּ֖נּוּ לֹ֣א יֹסִ֑יף פֶּן־יֹסִ֨יף לְהַכֹּתֹ֤ו עַל־אֵ֨לֶּה֙ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֔ה וְנִקְלָ֥ה אָחִ֖יךָ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ ס
He shall strike him forty times; he shall not add more, lest he continue to strike him with many blows beyond these, and your brother be degraded in your eyes.
Morphology
- אַרְבָּעִ֥ים (arbaʿim) – Root: ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Numeral, masculine plural; Translation: “forty”; Notes: Specifies the maximum number of lashes.
- יַכֶּ֖נּוּ (yakkenu) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with suffix; Translation: “he shall strike him”; Notes: Refers to corporal punishment.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses prohibition.
- יֹסִ֑יף (yosif) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall add”; Notes: Prohibition against exceeding the limit.
- פֶּן־ (pen) – Root: פן (pen); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Introduces a warning.
- יֹסִ֨יף (yosif) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he continue”; Notes: Reiteration of prohibition.
- לְהַכֹּתֹ֤ו (le-hakkoto) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil infinitive construct with suffix; Translation: “to strike him”; Notes: Indicates repeated action.
- עַל־אֵ֨לֶּה֙ (ʿal-elleh) – Root: אלה (elleh); Form: Preposition with demonstrative pronoun; Translation: “beyond these”; Notes: Refers to exceeding the set punishment.
- מַכָּ֣ה (makkah) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “blow”; Notes: Refers to physical strikes.
- רַבָּ֔ה (rabbah) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Adjective, feminine singular; Translation: “many”; Notes: Describes the excessiveness.
- וְנִקְלָ֥ה (ve-niklah) – Root: קלל (kalal); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he be degraded”; Notes: Refers to dishonor.
- אָחִ֖יךָ (aḥikha) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with suffix; Translation: “your brother”; Notes: Refers to fellow Israelites.
- לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (le-ʿeinekha) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Noun, feminine plural with suffix; Translation: “in your eyes”; Notes: Indicates public humiliation.