וְאִם־מִזְבַּ֤ח אֲבָנִים֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֔י לֹֽא־תִבְנֶ֥ה אֶתְהֶ֖ן גָּזִ֑ית כִּ֧י חַרְבְּךָ֛ הֵנַ֥פְתָּ עָלֶ֖יהָ וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָ׃
And if you make an altar of stones for Me, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool upon it, you will profane it.
Morphology
- וְאִם־ (veʾim) – Root: אם (ʾ-m); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “And if”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- מִזְבַּ֤ח (mizbeach) – Root: זבח (z-b-ḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “An altar”; Notes: Refers to a place for sacrifices.
- אֲבָנִים֙ (avaním) – Root: אבן (ʾ-b-n); Form: Noun, feminine plural absolute; Translation: “Stones”; Notes: Describes the material of the altar.
- תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֔י (taʿaseh-li) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms with preposition; Translation: “You shall make for Me”; Notes: Command to construct an altar.
- לֹֽא־תִבְנֶ֥ה (lo-tivne) – Root: בנה (b-n-h); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “You shall not build”; Notes: Prohibition against a certain type of construction.
- אֶתְהֶ֖ן (et-hen) – Root: N/A; Form: Direct object marker with feminine plural pronoun; Translation: “Them”; Notes: Refers to the stones.
- גָּזִ֑ית (gazít) – Root: גזז (g-z-z); Form: Adjective, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “Hewn”; Notes: Specifies the prohibition against shaped stones.
- כִּ֧י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Provides the reason for the command.
- חַרְבְּךָ֛ (ḥarbekha) – Root: חרב (ḥ-r-b); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your tool”; Notes: Refers to an instrument for cutting.
- הֵנַ֥פְתָּ (henáfta) – Root: נוף (n-w-p); Form: Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 2ms; Translation: “You have wielded”; Notes: Refers to the act of using the tool.
- עָלֶ֖יהָ (aleha) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition with 3fs suffix; Translation: “Upon it”; Notes: Refers to the altar.
- וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָ (vateḥalleha) – Root: חלל (ḥ-l-l); Form: Verb, Piel, Consecutive Imperfect, 2ms with 3fs suffix; Translation: “And you profane it”; Notes: Indicates defilement caused by improper handling.