Leviticus 19:28

King James Version 1611 (Original)

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְשֶׂ֣רֶט לָנֶ֗פֶשׁ לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֔ם וּכְתֹ֣בֶת קֽ͏ַעֲקַ֔ע לֹ֥א תִתְּנ֖וּ בָּכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה

Transliteration

wə-śereṭ lanepeš lōʾ ṯittənû biḇśarḵem û-ḵəṯōḇeṯ qaʿăqaʿ lōʾ ṯittənû bāḵem ʾănî YHWH

Grammar Details

• *wə-śereṭ*: conjunction + noun, masculine singular - and cutting
• *lanepeš*: preposition + definite article + noun, feminine singular - for the dead/soul
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *ṯittənû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall make/put
• *biḇśarḵem*: preposition + noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine plural suffix - in your flesh
• *û-ḵəṯōḇeṯ*: conjunction + noun, feminine singular construct - and writing/marking of
• *qaʿăqaʿ*: noun, masculine singular - tattoo/incision/imprint
• *bāḵem*: preposition + 2nd masculine plural suffix - in you
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD

Word Meanings

• *śereṭ* *lanepeš*: cutting for the dead/incision for a soul/ritual cutting for mourning
• *ḵəṯōḇeṯ* *qaʿăqaʿ*: tattoo marking/permanent writing/indelible inscription

Referenced Verses

• Deut 14:1 : 1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
• 1 Kgs 18:28 : 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
• Jer 16:6 : 6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
• Jer 48:37 : 37 For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
• Lev 21:5 : 5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
• Lev 21:1 : 1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
• Rev 15:2 : 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
• Rev 16:2 : 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
• Rev 20:4 : 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
• Mark 5:5 : 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
• Rev 13:16-17 : 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
• Rev 14:9 : 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
• Rev 14:11 : 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.