וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י זֶ֣ה הַמָּקֹ֗ום אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְבַשְּׁלוּ־שָׁם֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים אֶת־הָאָשָׁ֖ם וְאֶת־הַחַטָּ֑את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֹאפוּ֙ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה לְבִלְתִּ֥י הֹוצִ֛יא אֶל־הֶחָצֵ֥ר הַחִֽיצֹונָ֖ה לְקַדֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־הָעָֽם׃
And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out into the outer court to sanctify the people.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyōmer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Common narrative introduction indicating speech by the angelic guide to the prophet.
- אֵלַי (ʾelai) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks the direct address to Ezekiel.
- זֶה (zeh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Refers to the specific location being revealed in the vision.
- הַמָּקֹום (ha-maqom) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the place”; Notes: Refers to the designated area for priestly preparation of offerings.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “where” or “that”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause describing the function of the place.
- יְבַשְּׁלוּ־שָׁם (yevashelu-sham) – Root: בשל (bashal); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + adverb “there”; Translation: “they shall boil there”; Notes: The Piel form intensifies the action — “to prepare by boiling,” referring to ritual cooking.
- הַכֹּהֲנִים (ha-kohanim) – Root: כהן (kahan); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the priests”; Notes: Denotes the authorized Levitical priests who prepare and offer the sacrifices.
- אֶת־הָאָשָׁם (et-ha-asham) – Root: אשם (ʾasham); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the guilt offering”; Notes: Refers to offerings for restitution and purification from unintentional sins.
- וְאֶת־הַחַטָּאת (ve-et-ha-ḥattat) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + direct object marker אֶת + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the sin offering”; Notes: Represents sacrifices for atonement of sin before YHWH.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “where” or “that”; Notes: Introduces another relative clause modifying the following verb.
- יֹאפוּ (yoʾfu) – Root: אפה (ʾafah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall bake”; Notes: Refers to the preparation of the grain offering by baking within the sacred space.
- אֶת־הַמִּנְחָה (et-ha-minḥah) – Root: נחה (nḥh); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the grain offering”; Notes: Represents a cereal or meal offering given alongside animal sacrifices.
- לְבִלְתִּי (le-vilti) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + negative infinitive marker; Translation: “so that not” or “lest”; Notes: Introduces a negative purpose clause explaining the ritual precaution.
- הֹוצִיא (hotzi) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to bring out” or “to carry out”; Notes: The causative stem indicates physical removal from the sacred space.
- אֶל־הֶחָצֵר (el-he-ḥatser) – Root: חצר (ḥatser); Form: Preposition אֶל + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “into the court”; Notes: Refers to the temple’s outer courtyard, less sacred than the inner one.
- הַחִיצֹונָה (ha-ḥitsonah) – Root: חוץ (ḥuts); Form: Adjective feminine singular definite; Translation: “the outer”; Notes: Specifies the outer court, contrasting it with the inner sanctified area.
- לְקַדֵּשׁ (le-qaddesh) – Root: קדשׁ (qadash); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to sanctify”; Notes: Refers to the unintentional consecration effect that could occur if sacred items left the holy zone.
- אֶת־הָעָם (et-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Indicates that the purpose of keeping the rituals internal is to prevent inadvertent sanctification of common people or spaces.