וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שִׂ֥ימוּ אִישׁ־חַרְבֹּ֖ו עַל־יְרֵכֹ֑ו עִבְר֨וּ וָשׁ֜וּבוּ מִשַּׁ֤עַר לָשַׁ֨עַר֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְהִרְג֧וּ אִֽישׁ־אֶת־אָחִ֛יו וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶת־קְרֹבֹֽו׃
And he said to them, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Yisra’el, ‘Let each man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and let each man kill his brother, each man his companion, and each man his neighbor.’”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Refers to Moshe speaking to the Levites.
- לָהֶ֗ם (lahem) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition + Pronoun, 3mp; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to the Levites.
- כֹּֽה־ (ko) – Root: כה (k-h); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a direct command from YHWH.
- אָמַ֤ר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3ms; Translation: “Says”; Notes: Indicates a declaration by YHWH.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (y-h-w-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, the name of the LORD.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (Elohei) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “The God of”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the God of Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the people of Israel.
- שִׂ֥ימוּ (simu) – Root: שׂים (s-y-m); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “Put”; Notes: A direct command to the Levites.
- אִישׁ־ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “Each man”; Notes: Refers to individual Levites.
- חַרְבֹּ֖ו (ḥarbo) – Root: חרב (ḥ-r-b); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His sword”; Notes: Refers to the weapon each man must carry.
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿ-l); Form: Preposition; Translation: “On”; Notes: Indicates placement.
- יְרֵכֹ֑ו (yerecho) – Root: ירך (y-r-k); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His thigh”; Notes: Refers to the location of the sword.
- עִבְר֨וּ (ʿivru) – Root: עבר (ʿ-b-r); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “Go across”; Notes: A command to move through the camp.
- וָשׁ֜וּבוּ (vashuvu) – Root: שוב (sh-w-b); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “And return”; Notes: Instructs them to traverse back and forth.
- מִשַּׁ֤עַר (mishaʿar) – Root: שער (sh-ʿ-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “From gate”; Notes: Refers to the starting point of their action.
- לָשַׁ֨עַר֙ (lashar) – Root: שער (sh-ʿ-r); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “To gate”; Notes: Indicates the direction of their movement.
- בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה (bammaḥaneh) – Root: מחנה (m-ḥ-n-h); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “In the camp”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite encampment.
- וְהִרְג֧וּ (vehirgu) – Root: הרג (h-r-g); Form: Conjunction + Verb, Hiphil, Imperative, 2mp; Translation: “And kill”; Notes: A command to execute judgment.
- אִֽישׁ־ (ʾish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “Each man”; Notes: Refers to individual targets.
- אֶת־אָחִ֛יו (et-aḥiv) – Root: אח (ʾ-ḥ); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His brother”; Notes: Refers to familial relations.
- וְאִ֥ישׁ (veʾish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “And each man”; Notes: Refers to additional individuals.
- אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ (et-reʿehu) – Root: רע (r-ʿ); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His companion”; Notes: Refers to friends or neighbors.
- וְאִ֥ישׁ (veʾish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “And each man”; Notes: Refers to more individuals.
- אֶת־קְרֹבֹֽו׃ (et-qerovo) – Root: קרב (q-r-v); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “His relative”; Notes: Refers to close family members.