כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִשָּׁמְר֖וּ בְּנַפְשֹֽׁותֵיכֶ֑ם וְאַל־תִּשְׂא֤וּ מַשָּׂא֙ בְּיֹ֣ום הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
Thus said YHWH: “Guard your souls, and do not carry a burden on the day of the Shabbat, nor bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim.
Morphology
- כֹּ֚ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a divine proclamation formula.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s authoritative speech.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The speaker of the command.
- הִשָּׁמְר֖וּ (hishameru) – Root: שׁמר; Form: Niphal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Guard yourselves” or “Be careful”; Notes: A strong warning to take heed for one’s own sake.
- בְּנַפְשֹֽׁותֵיכֶ֑ם (be-nafshotekhem) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for your souls”; Notes: Refers to the whole self—life and being.
- וְאַל־ (ve-ʾal) – Root: אל; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and do not”; Notes: Introduces prohibition.
- תִּשְׂא֤וּ (tissu) – Root: נשא; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “carry”; Notes: Refers to lifting or bearing a burden.
- מַשָּׂא (masa) – Root: נשא; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a burden”; Notes: Literal or figurative load forbidden on Shabbat.
- בְּיֹ֣ום (be-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Marks the time of the restriction.
- הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת (ha-shabbat) – Root: שׁבת; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the Shabbat”; Notes: The seventh day, a day of rest and sanctity.
- וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם (va-haveʾtem) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil perfect 2nd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and bring”; Notes: Continuation of the prohibition—bringing burdens into the city.
- בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י (be-shaʿarei) – Root: שער; Form: Preposition + construct plural noun; Translation: “through the gates of”; Notes: Refers to city entrances, focal points for control and observance.
- יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם (Yerushalayim) – Root: ירושלם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: The holy city, subject of the prophetic call to reform.