לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים לְרָעֹ֑ת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת׃
You shall not follow the majority to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a dispute to turn aside after the majority to pervert justice.
Morphology
- לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה (lo-tihyeh) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Negative particle + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “You shall not be”; Notes: Prohibition against aligning oneself with a majority for wrongdoing.
- אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים (aḥarei-rabbim) – Root: אחר (ʾ-ḥ-r) + רב (r-b); Form: Preposition + Adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “After the majority”; Notes: Refers to following the consensus of the group.
- לְרָעֹ֑ת (leraʿot) – Root: רעע (r-ʿ-ʿ); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct; Translation: “To do evil”; Notes: Indicates harmful or unjust actions.
- וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה (velo-taʿaneh) – Root: ענה (ʿ-n-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “Nor shall you bear witness”; Notes: Prohibition against providing false or biased testimony.
- עַל־רִ֗ב (ʿal-riv) – Root: ריב (r-y-b); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “In a dispute”; Notes: Refers to legal or contentious situations.
- לִנְטֹ֛ת (lintot) – Root: נטה (n-t-h); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct; Translation: “To turn aside”; Notes: Indicates deviation from fairness or truth.
- אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים (aḥarei rabbim) – Root: אחר (ʾ-ḥ-r) + רב (r-b); Form: Preposition + Adjective, masculine plural; Translation: “After the majority”; Notes: Repeated phrase emphasizing the majority’s influence.
- לְהַטֹּֽת (lehaṭot) – Root: נטה (n-t-h); Form: Preposition + Infinitive construct (Hifil); Translation: “To pervert”; Notes: Refers to distorting justice or fairness.