Numbers 17:18

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral house.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְאֵת֙ שֵׁ֣ם אַהֲרֹ֔ן תִּכְתֹּ֖ב עַל־מַטֵּ֣ה לֵוִ֑י כִּ֚י מַטֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד לְרֹ֖אשׁ בֵּ֥ית אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

Transliteration

And-ʾēt šēm ʾAharōn tiktōb on-maṭṭēh Lēwî because maṭṭeh ʾeḥād for-rōʾš bêt ʾăbôtām

Grammar Details

• *wə-*: conjunction - and
• *ʾēt*: direct object marker
• *šēm*: noun, masculine singular construct - name of
• *ʾAharōn*: proper noun - Aaron
• *tiktōb*: qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall write
• *ʿal*: preposition - on
• *maṭṭēh*: noun, masculine singular construct - staff of
• *Lēwî*: proper noun - Levi
• *kî*: conjunction - because/for
• *maṭṭeh*: noun, masculine singular - staff/rod
• *ʾeḥād*: numeral, masculine singular - one
• *lə-rōʾš*: preposition + noun, masculine singular construct - for head of
• *bêt*: noun, masculine singular construct - house of
• *ʾăbôtām*: noun, masculine plural construct + 3rd masculine plural suffix - their fathers

Word Meanings

• *tiktōb*: write/inscribe/record
• *maṭṭeh*: staff/rod/tribe
• *rōʾš*: head/chief/leader
• *bêt ʾăbôtām*: house of their fathers/their ancestral house/their paternal family