וְרָחֲצ֛וּ יְדֵיהֶ֥ם וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יָמֻ֑תוּ וְהָיְתָ֨ה לָהֶ֧ם חָק־עֹולָ֛ם לֹ֥ו וּלְזַרְעֹ֖ו לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃ פ
And they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a statute forever to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
Morphology
- וְרָחֲצ֛וּ (veraḥatsu) – Root: רחץ (r-ḥ-ts); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3mp; Translation: “And they shall wash”; Notes: Refers to the priests’ ritual washing of hands and feet.
- יְדֵיהֶ֥ם (yedehem) – Root: יד (y-d); Form: Noun, feminine plural with 3mp suffix; Translation: “Their hands”; Notes: Specifies the hands of the priests being washed.
- וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם (veraglehem) – Root: רגל (r-g-l); Form: Conjunction + Noun, feminine plural with 3mp suffix; Translation: “And their feet”; Notes: Refers to the priests’ feet being washed.
- וְלֹ֣א (velo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + Negative particle; Translation: “So that they will not”; Notes: Introduces the consequence of not washing.
- יָמֻ֑תוּ (yamutu) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “Die”; Notes: Indicates the penalty for neglecting the ritual washing.
- וְהָיְתָ֨ה (vehaytah) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3fs; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Refers to the statute being established.
- לָהֶ֧ם (lahem) – Root: ל־ (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 3mp; Translation: “For them”; Notes: Indicates that the statute applies to the priests.
- חָק־ (ḥoq) – Root: חקק (ḥ-q-q); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “A statute”; Notes: Refers to a binding regulation or law.
- עֹולָ֛ם (olam) – Root: עול (ʿ-w-l-m); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Forever”; Notes: Indicates the eternal nature of the statute.
- לֹ֥ו (lo) – Root: ל־ (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 3ms; Translation: “To him”; Notes: Refers to the individual priest.
- וּלְזַרְעֹ֖ו (ulzar’o) – Root: זרע (z-r-ʿ); Form: Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct with 3ms suffix; Translation: “And to his offspring”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of the priests.
- לְדֹרֹתָֽם (ledorotam) – Root: דור (d-w-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct with 3mp suffix; Translation: “Throughout their generations”; Notes: Indicates that the statute applies to all future generations of priests.