כִּי֩ נְתֻנִ֨ים נְתֻנִ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙ לִ֔י מִתֹּ֖וךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תַּחַת֩ פִּטְרַ֨ת כָּל־רֶ֜חֶם בְּכֹ֥ור כֹּל֙ מִבְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָקַ֥חְתִּי אֹתָ֖ם לִֽי׃
For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Yisra’el, in place of all that opens the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Yisra’el, I have taken them for Myself.
Morphology
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces an explanation.
- נְתֻנִ֨ים (netunim) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Qal passive participle masculine plural; Translation: “Given”; Notes: Refers to the Levites being dedicated.
- נְתֻנִ֥ים (netunim) – Root: נתן (n-t-n); Form: Qal passive participle masculine plural; Translation: “Wholly given”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes their complete dedication.
- הֵ֨מָּה֙ (hemmah) – Root: הם (h-m); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “They”; Notes: Refers to the Levites.
- לִ֔י (li) – Root: לי (l-y); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “To Me”; Notes: Indicates possession or dedication to YHWH.
- מִתֹּ֖וךְ (mitokh) – Root: תוך (t-w-k); Form: Preposition; Translation: “From among”; Notes: Indicates separation from the children of Yisra’el.
- בְּנֵ֣י (bnei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Masculine plural construct noun; Translation: “The children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- תַּחַת֩ (taḥat) – Root: תחת (ṭ-ḥ-t); Form: Preposition; Translation: “In place of”; Notes: Indicates substitution.
- פִּטְרַ֨ת (pitrat) – Root: פטר (p-ṭ-r); Form: Feminine singular construct noun; Translation: “That opens”; Notes: Refers to the firstborn opening the womb.
- כָּל־רֶ֜חֶם (kol-reḥem) – Root: רחם (r-ḥ-m); Form: Masculine singular noun in construct with “kol”; Translation: “The womb”; Notes: Indicates all firstborn of the womb.
- בְּכֹ֥ור (bekhor) – Root: בכר (b-k-r); Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “Firstborn”; Notes: Refers to the first offspring.
- כֹּל֙ (kol) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Noun, construct; Translation: “All”; Notes: Refers to entirety of the firstborn.
- מִבְּנֵ֣י (mi-bnei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Preposition with masculine plural construct noun; Translation: “From the children of”; Notes: Refers to Yisra’el’s children.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- לָקַ֥חְתִּי (laqachti) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have taken”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s claim over the Levites.
- אֹתָ֖ם (otam) – Root: את (ʾ-t); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “Them”; Notes: Refers to the Levites.
- לִֽי׃ (li) – Root: לי (l-y); Form: Preposition with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “For Myself”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s possession or dedication.