כִּֽי־יֵשְׁב֨וּ אַחִ֜ים יַחְדָּ֗ו וּמֵ֨ת אַחַ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ וּבֵ֣ן אֵֽין־לֹ֔ו לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֧ה אֵֽשֶׁת־הַמֵּ֛ת הַח֖וּצָה לְאִ֣ישׁ זָ֑ר יְבָמָהּ֙ יָבֹ֣א עָלֶ֔יהָ וּלְקָחָ֥הּ לֹ֛ו לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃
If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not go outside to a strange man; her brother-in-law shall go to her, take her as a wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her.
Morphology
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “If”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- יֵשְׁב֨וּ (yeshvu) – Root: ישב (yashav); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “dwell”; Notes: Refers to living together.
- אַחִ֜ים (aḥim) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers to siblings.
- יַחְדָּ֗ו (yaḥdav) – Root: יחד (yaḥad); Form: Adverb; Translation: “together”; Notes: Indicates shared dwelling.
- וּמֵ֨ת (u-met) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and one dies”; Notes: Refers to a brother’s death.
- אַחַ֤ד (aḥad) – Root: אחד (eḥad); Form: Numeral, masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies one of the brothers.
- מֵהֶם֙ (mehem) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition with suffix; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Refers to the brothers.
- וּבֵ֣ן (u-ven) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a son”; Notes: Refers to an heir.
- אֵֽין־לֹ֔ו (ein-lo) – Root: אין (ein); Form: Negative existential phrase; Translation: “and he has none”; Notes: Indicates childlessness.
- לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֧ה (lo-tiheyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she shall not be”; Notes: Prohibitive statement.
- אֵֽשֶׁת־הַמֵּ֛ת (eshet-ha-met) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “the wife of the deceased”; Notes: Refers to the widow.
- הַח֖וּצָה (ha-ḥutzah) – Root: חוץ (ḥutz); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Refers to marrying an outsider.
- לְאִ֣ישׁ זָ֑ר (le-ish zar) – Root: איש (ish), זר (zar); Form: Noun with adjective; Translation: “to a strange man”; Notes: Indicates prohibition of marriage outside the family.
- יְבָמָהּ֙ (yevamah) – Root: יבם (yavam); Form: Noun, feminine singular with suffix; Translation: “her brother-in-law”; Notes: Refers to levirate marriage.
- יָבֹ֣א (yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall go to her”; Notes: Refers to the marital obligation.
- עָלֶ֔יהָ (aleha) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with suffix; Translation: “upon her”; Notes: Indicates relationship.
- וּלְקָחָ֥הּ (u-leqaha) – Root: לקח (laqakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with suffix; Translation: “and take her”; Notes: Indicates marriage.
- לֹ֛ו (lo) – Root: לו (lo); Form: Preposition with suffix; Translation: “to himself”; Notes: Specifies responsibility.
- לְאִשָּׁ֖ה (le-ishah) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “as a wife”; Notes: Specifies marriage.
- וְיִבְּמָֽהּ׃ (ve-yibbemah) – Root: יבם (yavam); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with suffix; Translation: “and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her”; Notes: Refers to levirate marriage law.