בָּ֠רִאשֹׁון בְּאַרְבָּעָ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יֹום֙ לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם הַפָּ֑סַח חָ֕ג שְׁבֻעֹ֣ות יָמִ֔ים מַצֹּ֖ות יֵאָכֵֽל׃
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, shall be for you the Pesaḥ, a festival of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
Morphology
- בָּרִאשֹׁון (ba-rishon) – Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite adjective masculine singular; Translation: “in the first”; Notes: Refers to the first month of the year (Nisan) in the sacred calendar.
- בְּאַרְבָּעָה (be-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Preposition בְּ + numeral masculine singular; Translation: “on the fourteenth”; Notes: Introduces the specific date of the Pesaḥ observance.
- עָשָׂר (ʿasar) – Root: עשר (ʿasar); Form: Numeral masculine singular in compound construction; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Combined with “four” to form “fourteen.”
- יֹום (yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Refers to the specific calendar day of the Pesaḥ sacrifice.
- לַחֹדֶשׁ (la-ḥodesh) – Root: חדשׁ (ḥodesh); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of the month”; Notes: Indicates the month in which Pesaḥ is celebrated.
- יִהְיֶה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Marks the establishment of the appointed festival day.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Addresses the people collectively, denoting communal participation.
- הַפָּסַח (ha-pesaḥ) – Root: פסח (pasaḥ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the Pesaḥ”; Notes: Refers to the festival commemorating YHWH’s deliverance of Yisraʾel from Mitsrayim (Egypt).
- חָג (ḥag) – Root: חגג (ḥagag); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a festival”; Notes: Denotes a pilgrimage feast marked by offerings and celebration.
- שְׁבֻעֹות (shevuʿot) – Root: שׁבע (shavaʿ); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “weeks” or “seven”; Notes: Here functions adverbially — “seven days,” describing the duration of the festival.
- יָמִים (yamim) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “days”; Notes: Specifies the length of the feast, seven days long.
- מַצֹּות (matzot) – Root: מצא (matzah); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “unleavened bread”; Notes: Bread made without yeast, symbolizing haste and purity in the Exodus narrative.
- יֵאָכֵל (yeʾakhel) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be eaten”; Notes: Passive form indicating communal consumption of unleavened bread throughout the festival period.