אָרוּר֙ לֹקֵ֣חַ שֹׁ֔חַד לְהַכֹּ֥ות נֶ֖פֶשׁ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃ ס
‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to strike down an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Morphology
- אָרוּר֙ (arur) – Root: ארר (ʾarar); Form: Qal passive participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Cursed”; Notes: Declares a curse upon the individual committing the following act.
- לֹקֵ֣חַ (lokeach) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal participle, masculine singular; Translation: “who takes”; Notes: Refers to receiving or accepting something, particularly illicitly.
- שֹׁ֔חַד (shokhad) – Root: שחד (shokhad); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a bribe”; Notes: Refers to an illicit payment intended to influence actions unjustly.
- לְהַכֹּ֥ות (le-hakot) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to strike down”; Notes: Refers to causing harm or death.
- נֶ֖פֶשׁ (nefesh) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “person” or “soul”; Notes: Refers to an individual’s life.
- דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י (dam naqi) – Root: דם (dam), נקי (naqi); Form: Construct chain: “blood of the innocent”; Translation: “innocent blood”; Notes: Refers to someone undeserving of punishment or harm.
- וְאָמַ֥ר (ve-ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And shall say”; Notes: Introduces the communal affirmation.
- כָל־הָעָ֖ם (kol-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “all the people”; Notes: Refers to the collective affirmation by the community.
- אָמֵֽן׃ (amen) – Root: אמן (ʾaman); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Amen”; Notes: Expression of agreement and affirmation of the curse.
- ס (samekh) – Form: Paragraph division symbol in the Masoretic text; Notes: Indicates a pause or section break in the text.