וְאִ֡ם בְּאֶ֣בֶן יָד֩ אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת בָּ֥הּ הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת רֹצֵ֣חַֽ ה֑וּא מֹ֥ות יוּמַ֖ת הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃
But if with a hand-held stone that could cause death he struck him and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Morphology
- וְאִם (ve-im) – Root: אם (ʾm); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “But if”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- בְּאֶ֣בֶן (be-ʾeven) – Root: אבן (ʾvn); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with a stone”; Notes: Specifies the instrument used.
- יָד֩ (yad) – Root: יד (yd); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Indicates the type of stone.
- אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת (ʾasher-yamut) – Root: מות (mwt); Form: Relative pronoun with Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that could cause death”; Notes: Describes the potential of the stone.
- בָּ֥הּ (bah) – Root: בה (bh); Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “with it”; Notes: Refers to the stone.
- הִכָּ֛הוּ (hikkahu) – Root: נכה (nkh); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “he struck him”; Notes: Indicates the act of striking.
- וַיָּמֹ֖ת (vayamot) – Root: מות (mwt); Form: Qal consecutive imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he died”; Notes: Shows the result of the action.
- רֹצֵ֣חַֽ (rotseach) – Root: רצח (rṣḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a murderer”; Notes: Identifies the individual as guilty of unlawful killing.
- ה֑וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hwʾ); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphasizes the identity of the murderer.
- מֹ֥ות יוּמַ֖ת (mot yumat) – Root: מות (mwt); Form: Infinitive absolute with Qal passive imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall surely be put to death”; Notes: Stresses the certainty of the penalty.
- הָרֹצֵֽחַ (ha-rotseach) – Root: רצח (rṣḥ); Form: Definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the murderer”; Notes: Specifies the guilty individual.