וַיִּפְקֹ֨ד מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן וּנְשִׂיאֵ֥י הָעֵדָ֖ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י הַקְּהָתִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם וּלְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם׃
And Moshe, Aharon, and the chiefs of the congregation counted the sons of the Qehati by their families and by their fathers’ house,
Morphology
- וַיִּפְקֹ֨ד (vayifqod) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he counted”; Notes: Refers to the act of taking a census or accounting.
- מֹשֶׁ֧ה (Moshe) – Root: משה (m-sh-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: Refers to the leader of the Israelites.
- וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן (ve-Aharon) – Root: אהר (ʾ-h-r); Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “And Aharon”; Notes: Refers to Moshe’s brother and the high priest.
- וּנְשִׂיאֵ֥י (u-n’si’ei) – Root: נשא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + masculine plural construct; Translation: “And the chiefs of”; Notes: Refers to the leaders or princes of the tribes.
- הָעֵדָ֖ה (ha-edah) – Root: עד (ʿ-d); Form: Definite article + feminine singular noun; Translation: “The congregation”; Notes: Refers to the assembly of Israel.
- אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י (et-bene) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Definite direct object marker + masculine plural construct; Translation: “The sons of”; Notes: Indicates the object of the counting.
- הַקְּהָתִ֑י (ha-Qehati) – Root: קהת (q-h-t); Form: Definite article + proper noun; Translation: “The Kohathites”; Notes: Refers to a specific Levitical family.
- לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם (le-mishpechotam) – Root: משפח (m-sh-p-ch); Form: Preposition + feminine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “By their families”; Notes: Specifies the division by clans.
- וּלְבֵ֥ית (u-le-veit) – Root: בית (b-y-t); Form: Conjunction + preposition + masculine singular construct; Translation: “And by the house of”; Notes: Refers to the patriarchal houses.
- אֲבֹתָֽם (avotam) – Root: אב (ʾ-v); Form: Masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “Their fathers”; Notes: Indicates genealogical lineage.