כִּ֣י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֮ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָדֹ֖ושׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
For I am YHWH your God; sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. And do not defile your souls with any creeping thing that moves upon the earth.
Morphology
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the command.
- אֲנִ֣י (ani) – Root: אני (ʾ-n-y); Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Emphasizes the speaker, YHWH.
- יְהוָה֮ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (y-h-w-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “The LORD”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to God.
- אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ (ʾeloheikhem) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, mp construct + 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your God”; Notes: Indicates the covenantal relationship.
- וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ (vehitqaddishtem) – Root: קדש (q-d-sh); Form: Verb, Hithpael, perfect, 2mp; Translation: “Sanctify yourselves”; Notes: A command for self-consecration.
- וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם (vihyitem) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Verb, Qal, perfect, 2mp; Translation: “And be”; Notes: Refers to becoming holy.
- קְדֹשִׁ֔ים (qedoshim) – Root: קדש (q-d-sh); Form: Adjective, mp; Translation: “Holy”; Notes: Refers to being set apart for God.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the basis of the command.
- קָדֹ֖ושׁ (qadosh) – Root: קדש (q-d-sh); Form: Adjective, ms; Translation: “Holy”; Notes: Refers to God’s holiness.
- אָ֑נִי (ani) – Root: אני (ʾ-n-y); Form: Pronoun, 1cs; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Emphasizes God’s self-identity.
- וְלֹ֤א (velo) – Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “And do not”; Notes: Introduces a prohibition.
- תְטַמְּאוּ֙ (tetammeʾu) – Root: טמא (ṭ-m-ʾ); Form: Verb, Piel, imperfect, 2mp; Translation: “Defile”; Notes: Refers to becoming ritually impure.
- אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם (ʾet-nafshoteikhem) – Root: נפש (n-p-sh); Form: Direct object marker + noun, fp + 2mp suffix; Translation: “Your souls”; Notes: Refers to their inner beings.
- בְּכָל־ (bekhol) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Preposition + noun, ms construct; Translation: “With any”; Notes: Specifies the source of impurity.
- הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ (hasherets) – Root: שרץ (sh-r-ts); Form: Noun, ms; Translation: “Creeping thing”; Notes: Refers to small, creeping creatures.
- הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ (haromes) – Root: רמש (r-m-sh); Form: Participle, Qal, ms; Translation: “That moves”; Notes: Describes their movement on the earth.
- עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ (ʿal-haʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Preposition + noun, fs; Translation: “Upon the earth”; Notes: Specifies the habitat of the creeping things.