כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשֹׁ֛ו לַיהוָ֖ה בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃
When you take a census of the sons of Yisra’el for their counting, each man shall give a ransom for his soul to YHWH when you count them, so that there will be no plague among them when you count them.
Morphology
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “When”; Notes: Introduces a conditional or temporal clause.
- תִשָּׂ֞א (tissa) – Root: נשא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “You take”; Notes: Refers to taking a census or lifting up the head in counting.
- אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ (et-rosh) – Root: ראש (r-ʾ-sh); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “The head”; Notes: Refers to the leaders or individuals being counted in the census.
- בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ (bene-Yisra’el) – Root: בן (b-n) + יִשְׂרָאֵל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + Proper noun; Translation: “The sons of Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒ (lifqudehem) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct with 3mp suffix; Translation: “For their enrollment”; Notes: Refers to the act of registering or numbering the people.
- וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ (venatnu) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “And they shall give”; Notes: Refers to the act of each man giving a ransom offering.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “A man”; Notes: Refers to each individual among the Israelites.
- כֹּ֧פֶר (kofer) – Root: כפר (k-p-r); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “A ransom”; Notes: Refers to the offering given to atone for one’s life.
- נַפְשֹׁ֛ו (nafsho) – Root: נפש (n-p-sh); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “For his soul”; Notes: Refers to the individual’s life or being.
- לַיהוָ֖ה (laYHWH) – Root: יהוה (Y-H-W-H); Form: Preposition + Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “To YHWH”; Notes: Indicates that the ransom is dedicated to YHWH.
- בִּפְקֹ֣ד (bifqod) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Preposition + Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “When you enroll”; Notes: Refers to the census-taking process.
- אֹתָ֑ם (otam) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “Them”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites being counted.
- וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה (velo-yihyeh) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And there will not be”; Notes: Refers to the prevention of a plague among the Israelites.
- בָהֶ֛ם (vahem) – Root: בה (b-h); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “Among them”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites collectively.
- נֶ֖גֶף (negef) – Root: נגף (n-g-f); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “A plague”; Notes: Refers to the consequence of failing to give the ransom offering.
- בִּפְקֹ֥ד (bifqod) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Preposition + Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct; Translation: “When you enroll”; Notes: Repeats the context of taking the census.
- אֹתָֽם (otam) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “Them”; Notes: Refers again to the Israelites being counted.