כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֣ה הָעֵדֹ֗ת וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ אֶתְכֶֽם׃
When your son asks you tomorrow, saying, ‘What are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which YHWH our God has commanded you?’
Morphology
- כִּֽי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “When”; Notes: Introduces a conditional or temporal clause.
- יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ (yishʾal-kha) – Root: שׁאל (shaʾal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “asks you”; Notes: Refers to an inquiry.
- בִנְךָ֛ (binkha) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your son”; Notes: Refers to one’s offspring.
- מָחָ֖ר (maḥar) – Root: מחר (maḥar); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “tomorrow”; Notes: Indicates a future time.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾmor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- מָ֣ה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Used to introduce a question.
- הָעֵדֹ֗ת (ha-ʿedot) – Root: עד (ʿed); Form: Noun, feminine plural with definite article; Translation: “the testimonies”; Notes: Refers to divine laws as reminders.
- וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ (ve-ha-ḥuqim) – Root: חוק (ḥoq); Form: Noun, masculine plural with conjunction and definite article; Translation: “the statutes”; Notes: Refers to fixed decrees.
- וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים (ve-ha-mishpatim) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Noun, masculine plural with conjunction and definite article; Translation: “the judgments”; Notes: Refers to legal decisions or ordinances.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- צִוָּ֛ה (tzivvah) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He has commanded”; Notes: Refers to divine instruction.
- יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ (Eloheinu) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “our God”; Notes: Refers to the deity worshiped by Israel.
- אֶתְכֶֽם (etkhem) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Accusative marker with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to the audience receiving the commandments.