וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֡ן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר בָּנָ֜יו רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם אַל־תִּפְרָ֣עוּ וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם לֹֽא־תִפְרֹ֨מוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֔תוּ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה יִקְצֹ֑ף וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙ כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִבְכּוּ֙ אֶת־הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר שָׂרַ֥ף יְהוָֽה׃
And Moshe said to Aharon and to Elʿazar and to Itamar, his sons, “Do not let your heads become unkempt, and do not tear your garments, lest you die and wrath come upon the entire congregation; but your brothers, all the house of Yisra’el, shall mourn the burning that YHWH has kindled.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (vayyoʾmer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “He said”; Notes: Refers to Moshe speaking to Aharon and his sons.
- מֹשֶׁ֣ה (Mosheh) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun, ms; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to Moses.
- אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֡ן (ʾel-Aharon) – Root: אהרן (ʾ-h-r-n); Form: Preposition + proper noun, ms; Translation: “To Aharon”; Notes: The High Priest and father of Elʿazar and Itamar.
- וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ (uʾelʿazar) – Root: אלעזר (ʾ-l-ʿ-z-r); Form: Conjunction + proper noun, ms; Translation: “And to Elʿazar”; Notes: Aharon’s son.
- וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר (uʾitamar) – Root: איתמר (ʾ-y-t-m-r); Form: Conjunction + proper noun, ms; Translation: “And to Itamar”; Notes: Aharon’s younger son.
- בָּנָ֜יו (banav) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, mp + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His sons”; Notes: Refers to Aharon’s sons, Elʿazar and Itamar.
- רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם (rasheikhem) – Root: ראש (r-ʾ-sh); Form: Noun, mp + 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your heads”; Notes: Refers to their grooming practices.
- אַל־תִּפְרָ֣עוּ (ʾal-tifrau) – Root: פרע (p-r-ʿ); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 2mp + negative particle; Translation: “Do not let become unkempt”; Notes: Refers to refraining from mourning practices.
- וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם (uvigdeikhem) – Root: בגד (b-g-d); Form: Conjunction + noun, mp + 2mp suffix; Translation: “And your garments”; Notes: Refers to their clothing.
- לֹֽא־תִפְרֹ֨מוּ֙ (lo-tifromu) – Root: פרם (p-r-m); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 2mp + negative particle; Translation: “Do not tear”; Notes: Prohibition against tearing garments in mourning.
- וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֔תוּ (velo-tamutu) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Conjunction + verb, Qal, imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “And you shall not die”; Notes: Warning of consequences for disobedience.
- וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה (veʿal kol-haʿedah) – Root: עדה (ʿ-d-h); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun, fs construct; Translation: “And upon the entire congregation”; Notes: Refers to the rest of Israel.
- יִקְצֹ֑ף (yiqtzof) – Root: קצף (q-ṣ-p); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “He will become angry”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s wrath.
- וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙ (vaʾaḥeikhem) – Root: אח (ʾ-ḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun, mp + 2mp suffix; Translation: “But your brothers”; Notes: Refers to the rest of Israelite men.
- כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (kol-beit Yisraʾel) – Root: בית (b-y-t) + ישראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Noun, ms construct + proper noun; Translation: “All the house of Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the entire nation of Israel.
- יִבְכּוּ֙ (yivku) – Root: בכה (b-k-h); Form: Verb, Qal, imperfect, 3mp; Translation: “They shall mourn”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites mourning the tragedy.
- אֶת־הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה (ʾet-hasereifah) – Root: שרף (s-r-p); Form: Direct object marker + noun, fs; Translation: “The burning”; Notes: Refers to the fire that consumed Nadav and Avihu.
- אֲשֶׁ֖ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “That”; Notes: Introduces the clause describing the burning.
- שָׂרַ֥ף (saraf) – Root: שרף (s-r-p); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, 3ms; Translation: “He kindled”; Notes: Refers to YHWH initiating the fire.
- יְהוָֽה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (y-h-w-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the LORD.