וְהָיְתָ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְֽנַחֲלָ֔ה אֲנִ֖י נַֽחֲלָתָ֑ם וַאֲחֻזָּ֗ה לֹֽא־תִתְּנ֤וּ לָהֶם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲנִ֖י אֲחֻזָּתָֽם׃
“And it shall be to them for an inheritance; I am their inheritance, and a possession you shall not give to them in Yisraʾel; I am their possession.
Morphology
- וְהָיְתָה (ve-hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Refers to the promise or decree of YHWH, describing what will belong to the priests.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates possession or benefit for the priests.
- לְנַחֲלָה (le-naḥalah) – Root: נחל (naḥal); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for an inheritance”; Notes: Denotes allotted property or portion, often referring to tribal land inheritance.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: The divine speaker, YHWH Himself, declaring His relationship with the priests.
- נַחֲלָתָם (naḥalatam) – Root: נחל (naḥal); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their inheritance”; Notes: Indicates that YHWH Himself, not land or property, is their eternal share.
- וַאֲחֻזָּה (va-aḥuzzah) – Root: אחז (aḥaz); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and a possession”; Notes: Refers to landed property or estate, distinct from “inheritance.”
- לֹא־ (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb, forming a prohibition.
- תִתְּנוּ (tittenu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall give”; Notes: Command to the people of Yisraʾel, forbidding them from granting land inheritance to priests.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the Levitical priests as recipients of this command.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Locative phrase emphasizing that this ruling applies within the land of Yisraʾel.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, underscoring divine exclusivity as their portion.
- אֲחֻזָּתָם (aḥuzzatam) – Root: אחז (aḥaz); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “their possession”; Notes: Parallels “inheritance,” highlighting that YHWH Himself is both their reward and their estate.