אַל־תְּשַׁקְּצוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֑ץ וְלֹ֤א תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם בָּֽם׃
Do not make your souls detestable by any creeping thing that creeps, and do not defile yourselves with them, and you will become unclean through them.
Morphology
- אַל־ (ʾal) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Do not”; Notes: Introduces a prohibition.
- תְּשַׁקְּצוּ֙ (teshaqqetsu) – Root: שקץ (sh-q-ts); Form: Verb, Piel, imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “Make detestable”; Notes: Refers to actions that render the soul abhorrent.
- אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם (ʾet-nafshoteikhem) – Root: נפש (n-p-sh); Form: Direct object marker + noun, fp + 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your souls”; Notes: Refers to the inner selves of the Israelites.
- בְּכָל־ (bekhol) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Preposition + noun, ms construct; Translation: “By any”; Notes: Specifies the source of defilement.
- הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ (hasherets) – Root: שרץ (sh-r-ts); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “The creeping thing”; Notes: Refers to small creatures that crawl.
- הַשֹּׁרֵ֑ץ (hashorets) – Root: שרץ (sh-r-ts); Form: Participle, Qal, ms; Translation: “That creeps”; Notes: Describes their movement.
- וְלֹ֤א (velo) – Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “And do not”; Notes: Introduces a secondary prohibition.
- תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ (tittammeʾu) – Root: טמא (ṭ-m-ʾ); Form: Verb, Niphal, imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “Defile yourselves”; Notes: Refers to becoming ritually impure.
- בָּהֶ֔ם (bahem) – Root: ב (b) + הם (h-m); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3mp; Translation: “With them”; Notes: Refers to the creeping things.
- וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם (venitmetem) – Root: טמא (ṭ-m-ʾ); Form: Verb, Niphal, perfect, 2mp; Translation: “And you will become unclean”; Notes: Describes the state of impurity resulting from contact.
- בָּֽם (bam) – Root: ב (b) + ם (m); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3mp; Translation: “Through them”; Notes: Indicates the source of defilement.