וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ אֵלָ֣יו כָּֽל־נְשִֽׂיאֵיהֶ֡ם מַטֶּה֩ לְנָשִׂ֨יא אֶחָ֜ד מַטֶּ֨ה לְנָשִׂ֤יא אֶחָד֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֔ם שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר מַטֹּ֑ות וּמַטֵּ֥ה אַהֲרֹ֖ן בְּתֹ֥וךְ מַטֹּותָֽם׃
Moshe spoke to the children of Yisra’el, and all their leaders gave him a staff for each leader, one staff for each house of their fathers, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aharon was among their staffs.
Morphology
- וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר (vayedabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “He spoke”; Notes: Indicates Moshe as the subject delivering the speech.
- מֹשֶׁ֜ה (Moshe) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Singular; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Name of the prophet and leader of Yisra’el.
- אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י (el-benei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct; 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: Refers to the nation of Yisra’el.
- וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ (vayitnu) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they gave”; Notes: Describes the leaders’ action of giving the staffs.
- כָּֽל־נְשִֽׂיאֵיהֶ֡ם (kol-nesi’eihem) – Root: נשׂא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “All their leaders”; Notes: Refers to the tribal leaders of Yisra’el.
- מַטֶּה֩ (matteh) – Root: מטה (m-t-h); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “Staff”; Notes: Symbol of leadership for each tribe.
- לְנָשִׂ֨יא (le-nasi) – Root: נשׂא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “For a leader”; Notes: Specifies that each staff belonged to a leader.
- אֶחָ֜ד (eḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾ-ḥ-d); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “One”; Notes: Indicates one staff per leader.
- שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר (sheneim asar) – Root: שנים (sh-n-y-m) + עשר (ʿ-s-r); Form: Cardinal number; Translation: “Twelve”; Notes: Total number of staffs representing the tribes.
- וּמַטֵּ֥ה אַהֲרֹ֖ן (u-matteh Aharon) – Root: מטה (m-t-h) + Proper noun; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “And the staff of Aharon”; Notes: Refers to Aharon’s staff among the others.
- בְּתֹ֥וךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך (t-w-k); Form: Preposition; Translation: “Among”; Notes: Indicates the position of Aharon’s staff within the group.
- מַטֹּותָֽם (mattotam) – Root: מטה (m-t-h); Form: Noun masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “Their staffs”; Notes: Refers to the collective staffs of the leaders.