לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
You shall not curse the deaf, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God; I am YHWH.
Morphology
- לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל (lo-tekallel) – Root: קלל (q-l-l); Form: Negative particle + Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall not curse”; Notes: Refers to speaking negatively or harming through words.
- חֵרֵ֔שׁ (cheresh) – Root: חרש (ḥ-r-sh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “The deaf”; Notes: Refers to one who cannot hear.
- וְלִפְנֵ֣י (ve-lifnei) – Root: פני (p-n-y); Form: Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “And before”; Notes: Indicates proximity or presence.
- עִוֵּ֔ר (iver) – Root: עור (ʿ-w-r); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “The blind”; Notes: Refers to one who cannot see.
- לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן (lo-titten) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall not place”; Notes: Prohibits causing harm through deliberate action.
- מִכְשֹׁ֑ל (mikhshol) – Root: כשׁל (k-sh-l); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “A stumbling block”; Notes: Symbolic of causing another to stumble or fail.
- וְיָרֵ֥אתָ (ve-yareta) – Root: ירא (y-r-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “But you shall fear”; Notes: Refers to reverence and respect for God.
- מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ (me-Elohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your God”; Notes: Directs the command toward personal accountability to God.
- אֲנִ֥י (ani) – Root: אנ (ʾ-n); Form: Pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes the speaker, YHWH.
- יְהוָֽה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (h-w-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, the sacred name of God.