כָּל־מַ֨כֵּה־נֶ֔פֶשׁ לְפִ֣י עֵדִ֔ים יִרְצַ֖ח אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֑חַ וְעֵ֣ד אֶחָ֔ד לֹא־יַעֲנֶ֥ה בְנֶ֖פֶשׁ לָמֽוּת׃
Whoever strikes a person shall be put to death by the testimony of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against a person to cause him to die.
Morphology
- כָּל־מַ֨כֵּה (kol-makkeh) – Root: נכה (nkh); Form: Participle, Hifil masculine singular construct; Translation: “Whoever strikes”; Notes: Indicates an action performed causing harm or death.
- נֶ֔פֶשׁ (nefesh) – Root: נפש (npsh); Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “a person”; Notes: Refers to a life or individual.
- לְפִ֣י (lefi) – Root: פי (py); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “by the mouth of”; Notes: Indicates reliance on testimony.
- עֵדִ֔ים (edim) – Root: עד (ʿd); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “witnesses”; Notes: Refers to those giving testimony.
- יִרְצַ֖ח (yirtsaḥ) – Root: רצח (rṣḥ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall put to death”; Notes: Denotes intentional killing.
- אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֑חַ (et-ha-rotseach) – Root: רצח (rṣḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular definite; Translation: “the murderer”; Notes: Refers to the guilty party.
- וְעֵ֣ד (ve-ed) – Root: עד (ʿd); Form: Noun, masculine singular with vav conjunction; Translation: “and a witness”; Notes: Singular form contrasting with plural earlier.
- אֶחָ֔ד (eḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾḥd); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Emphasizes insufficient testimony.
- לֹא־יַעֲנֶ֥ה (lo-yaʿaneh) – Root: ענה (ʿnh); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall not testify”; Notes: Indicates prohibition of insufficient testimony.
- בְנֶ֖פֶשׁ (be-nefesh) – Root: נפש (npsh); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “against a person”; Notes: Refers to legal testimony involving life.
- לָמֽוּת׃ (lamut) – Root: מות (mwt); Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “to cause to die”; Notes: Indicates the consequence of the testimony.