וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו׃
And YHWH said to Moshe, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aharon, and say to them: No one shall defile himself for a soul among his people.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with conversive vav; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Indicates YHWH is speaking.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: הוה (h-w-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, referring to God.
- אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה (el-Moshe) – Root: משה (M-sh-h); Form: Preposition + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “To Moshe”; Notes: Directs the speech to Moses.
- אֱמֹ֥ר (emor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: A command to Moses.
- אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים (el-hakohanim) – Root: כהן (k-h-n); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural definite; Translation: “To the Kohanim”; Notes: Refers to the priests.
- בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן (bene Aharon) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + proper noun; Translation: “The sons of Aharon”; Notes: Specifies the priestly lineage.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with conversive vav; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: A directive to Moses to relay God’s command.
- אֲלֵהֶ֔ם (alehem) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “To them”; Notes: Refers to the Kohanim.
- לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ (lenefesh) – Root: נפש (n-p-sh); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “For a soul”; Notes: Refers to a dead body or life.
- לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א (lo-yitamma) – Root: טמא (t-m-ʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He shall not defile himself”; Notes: Prohibits becoming ritually impure.
- בְּעַמָּֽיו (be-amav) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Among his people”; Notes: Limits the context of the prohibition.