אַלְמָנָ֤ה וּגְרוּשָׁה֙ וַחֲלָלָ֣ה זֹנָ֔ה אֶת־אֵ֖לֶּה לֹ֣א יִקָּ֑ח כִּ֛י אִם־בְּתוּלָ֥ה מֵעַמָּ֖יו יִקַּ֥ח אִשָּֽׁה׃
A widow, a divorced woman, a defiled woman, or a harlot—these he shall not take; but he shall take a virgin from his people as a wife.
Morphology
- אַלְמָנָ֤ה (almanah) – Root: אלמן (ʾ-l-m-n); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “A widow”; Notes: Specifies a category of women forbidden for the priest to marry.
- וּגְרוּשָׁה֙ (u-gerushah) – Root: גרש (g-r-sh); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “A divorced woman”; Notes: Indicates a woman who has been separated from her husband.
- וַחֲלָלָ֣ה (va-ḥalalah) – Root: חלל (ḥ-l-l); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “A defiled woman”; Notes: Refers to a woman ceremonially or ritually defiled.
- זֹנָ֔ה (zonah) – Root: זנה (z-n-h); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “A harlot”; Notes: Prohibited due to her occupation or moral status.
- אֶת־אֵ֖לֶּה (et-eleh) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Direct object marker + demonstrative pronoun plural; Translation: “These”; Notes: Refers to the preceding categories of women.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the command regarding taking certain women.
- יִקָּ֑ח (yiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Verb Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He shall take”; Notes: Refers to the priest marrying.
- כִּ֛י (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “But”; Notes: Introduces the exception to the rule.
- אִם־בְּתוּלָ֥ה (im-betulah) – Root: בתל (b-t-l); Form: Conditional particle + noun feminine singular; Translation: “If a virgin”; Notes: Specifies the condition for a permissible wife.
- מֵעַמָּ֖יו (me-amav) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “From his people”; Notes: Restricts the choice of wife to within the priest’s community.
- יִקַּ֥ח (yiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Verb Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He shall take”; Notes: Reiterates the command regarding marriage.
- אִשָּֽׁה׃ (ishah) – Root: אשה (ʾ-sh-h); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “A wife”; Notes: Specifies the purpose of the command.