דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ כִּי־יִהְיֶֽה־טָמֵ֣א לָנֶ֡פֶשׁ אֹו֩ בְדֶ֨רֶךְ רְחֹקָ֜הׄ לָכֶ֗ם אֹ֚ו לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעָ֥שָׂה פֶ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה׃
“Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying: Any man who becomes unclean because of a corpse or is on a distant journey, for you or for your generations, he shall perform the Pesaḥ for YHWH.
Morphology
- דַּבֵּ֛ר (dabber) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: Instruction directed to Moshe.
- אֶל־ (el) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Preposition; Translation: “To”; Notes: Indicates the target of the speech.
- בְּנֵ֥י (bnei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Masculine plural construct noun; Translation: “The children of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Israel.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “Saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the command.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “A man”; Notes: Refers to any individual male.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ish) – Root: איש (ʾ-y-sh); Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “A man”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis on individual responsibility.
- כִּי־יִהְיֶֽה־טָמֵ֣א (ki-yihyeh-tame) – Root: טמא (ṭ-m-ʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “If he becomes unclean”; Notes: Conditional clause introducing the case of impurity.
- לָנֶ֡פֶשׁ (la-nefesh) – Root: נפש (n-p-sh); Form: Feminine singular noun with preposition; Translation: “Because of a corpse”; Notes: Indicates the source of the impurity.
- אֹו֩ (o) – Root: או (ʾ-w); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Or”; Notes: Indicates an alternative condition.
- בְדֶ֨רֶךְ (be-derekh) – Root: דרך (d-r-k); Form: Masculine singular noun with preposition; Translation: “On a journey”; Notes: Refers to physical distance.
- רְחֹקָ֜הׄ (reḥoqah) – Root: רחק (r-ḥ-q); Form: Feminine singular adjective; Translation: “Distant”; Notes: Describes the remoteness of the journey.
- לָכֶ֗ם (lachem) – Root: לכם (l-k-m); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “For you”; Notes: Addresses the current generation.
- אֹ֚ו (o) – Root: או (ʾ-w); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Or”; Notes: Further alternative case.
- לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם (le-doroteikhem) – Root: דור (d-w-r); Form: Masculine plural construct noun with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “For your generations”; Notes: Extends the command to future generations.
- וְעָ֥שָׂה (ve-asah) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with waw consecutive; Translation: “He shall perform”; Notes: Refers to the act of observing the Pesaḥ.
- פֶ֖סַח (Pesaḥ) – Root: פסח (p-s-ḥ); Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “The Pesaḥ”; Notes: Refers to the Passover observance.
- לַיהוָֽה׃ (la-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (y-h-w-h); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “For YHWH”; Notes: Denotes the dedication of the observance to YHWH.