דַּבֵּ֣ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְקַ֣ח מֵֽאִתָּ֡ם מַטֶּ֣ה מַטֶּה֩ לְבֵ֨ית אָ֜ב מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־נְשִֽׂיאֵהֶם֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֔ם שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר מַטֹּ֑ות אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־שְׁמֹ֔ו תִּכְתֹּ֖ב עַל־מַטֵּֽהוּ׃
“Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and take from them a rod, one for each father’s house, from all their leaders according to their ancestral houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.
Morphology
- דַּבֵּ֣ר (dabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: A command directed to Moshe.
- אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י (el-benei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “To the children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (Yisra’el) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Singular; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: The name of the nation.
- וְקַ֣ח (ve-qach) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “And take”; Notes: Instruction to take something.
- מֵֽאִתָּ֡ם (me-ittam) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Preposition + pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “From them”; Notes: Indicates source.
- מַטֶּ֣ה (matteh) – Root: מטה (m-t-h); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “Rod”; Notes: Refers to a staff or symbol of authority.
- לְבֵ֨ית (le-veit) – Root: בית (b-y-t); Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine singular; Translation: “For the house of”; Notes: Denotes familial lineage.
- אָ֜ב (av) – Root: אב (ʾ-b); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “Father”; Notes: Indicates patriarchal lineage.
- תִּכְתֹּ֖ב (tikh’tov) – Root: כתב (k-t-v); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall write”; Notes: Command to record names on the rods.