כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֡עַ בְּמֵ֣ת בְּנֶפֶשׁ֩ הָאָדָ֨ם אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֜וּת וְלֹ֣א יִתְחַטָּ֗א אֶת־מִשְׁכַּ֤ן יְהוָה֙ טִמֵּ֔א וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּי֩ מֵ֨י נִדָּ֜ה לֹא־זֹרַ֤ק עָלָיו֙ טָמֵ֣א יִהְיֶ֔ה עֹ֖וד טֻמְאָתֹ֥ו בֹֽו׃
Whoever touches a dead body, the soul of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of YHWH. That soul shall be cut off from Yisra’el, because the water of impurity was not sprinkled on him. He shall remain unclean; his impurity is still upon him.
Morphology
- כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֡עַ (kol-hanogeʿa) – Root: נגע (nagaʿ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “Whoever touches”; Notes: Refers to physical contact with a dead body.
- בְּמֵ֣ת (bemeth) – Root: מות (muth); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a dead body”; Notes: Refers to ritual impurity from contact with the dead.
- בְּנֶפֶשׁ֩ (benephesh) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the soul”; Notes: Refers to a human life.
- הָאָדָ֨ם (ha’adam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “of a man”; Notes: Specifies the person.
- אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֜וּת (asher-yamut) – Root: מות (muth); Form: Relative pronoun with Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “who has died”; Notes: Refers to the deceased individual.
- וְלֹ֣א (velo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction with negative particle; Translation: “and does not”; Notes: Negates the following action.
- יִתְחַטָּ֗א (yitḥatta) – Root: חטא (chata); Form: Hitpael imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “purify himself”; Notes: Refers to the required ritual purification.
- אֶת־מִשְׁכַּ֤ן (et-mishkan) – Root: שכן (shakan); Form: Direct object marker with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the tabernacle of”; Notes: Refers to the dwelling place of YHWH.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
- טִמֵּ֔א (timme) – Root: טמא (tame); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he defiles”; Notes: Refers to the act of ritual defilement.
- וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה (venichretah) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “shall be cut off”; Notes: Indicates excommunication or death as a consequence.
- הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ (hanefesh) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the soul”; Notes: Refers to the individual affected.
- הַהִ֖וא (hahi) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the specific soul.
- מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (miYisra’el) – Root: שרר (sar); Form: Preposition with proper noun; Translation: “from Yisra’el”; Notes: Indicates separation from the covenant community.
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the punishment.
- מֵ֨י נִדָּ֜ה (mei niddah) – Root: מים (mayim) and נדד (nadad); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the water of impurity”; Notes: Refers to the purification water.
- לֹא־זֹרַ֤ק (lo-zorak) – Root: זרק (zarak); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was not sprinkled”; Notes: Refers to the failure to apply the purification water.
- עָלָיו֙ (alav) – Root: על (al); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “on him”; Notes: Refers to the person who touched the dead body.
- טָמֵ֣א (tame) – Root: טמא (tame); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “unclean”; Notes: Describes the person’s state of impurity.
- יִהְיֶ֔ה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall be”; Notes: Indicates a continuing state of impurity.
- עֹ֖וד (od) – Root: עוד (od); Form: Adverb; Translation: “still”; Notes: Emphasizes the lingering impurity.
- טֻמְאָתֹ֥ו (tum’ato) – Root: טמא (tame); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his impurity”; Notes: Refers to the state of ritual uncleanness.
- בֹֽו׃ (bo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon him”; Notes: Refers to the uncleanness remaining on the individual.