Introduction to Numbers 4:18
This verse is part of a divine command to preserve the lives of the Qehatite clan among the Levites, who were tasked with transporting the most sacred objects. The verse uses a negative imperative with a jussive verb, which is a common grammatical structure in Biblical Hebrew for expressing prohibitions. It also features an example of genitive apposition, where one noun defines another. This lesson will explore both features: the construction of prohibitive commands using אַל + jussive, and the syntactical function of noun + genitive noun phrase as a descriptive unit.
אַל־תַּכְרִ֕יתוּ אֶת־שֵׁ֖בֶט מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַקְּהָתִ֑י מִתֹּ֖וךְ הַלְוִיִּֽם׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
- אַל־תַּכְרִ֕יתוּ (ʾal-takhritu) – “Do not cut off.”
– אַל is the particle of prohibition used with jussive and imperfect forms.
– תַּכְרִ֕יתוּ is Hifil jussive/imperfect 2mp from כרת (“to cut off, eliminate”).
– The combination forms a negative command, equivalent to “You must not cause to be cut off.” - אֶת־שֵׁ֖בֶט (et-shevet) – “the tribe” or “the staff.”
– אֵת marks the direct object.
– שֵׁבֶט can refer to a rod/staff or a tribal unit; here, it metaphorically represents the Qehatite clan. - מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַקְּהָתִ֑י (mishpeḥot haqqehati) – “of the families of the Qehatite.”
– This is a construct chain, with מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת (“families”) in construct with הַקְּהָתִ֑י (“the Qehatite”).
– This phrase functions appositionally to שֵׁבֶט: the “tribe” is further defined by “the families of the Qehatite.”
– The definiteness of the whole chain comes from the article on הַקְּהָתִ֑י. - מִתֹּ֖וךְ הַלְוִיִּֽם (mittokh ha-leviʾyim) – “from among the Levites.”
– Preposition מִן + תֹּוךְ (“midst, middle of”), forming the expression מִתֹּוךְ = “from within / from among.”
– הַלְוִיִּֽם – “the Levites,” definite plural noun.
– This prepositional phrase clarifies the larger group from which the Qehatites belong.
Negative Imperatives and Genitive Apposition in Legal Prose
This verse demonstrates two important grammatical constructions:
1. Negative Imperative with Jussive Form:
– The use of אַל + jussive/imperfect verb (תַּכְרִ֕יתוּ) is a standard Hebrew prohibition pattern.
– The jussive nuance fits the legal and divine command tone of the passage: “Do not cause [this] to be eliminated.”
– The verb כרת in Hifil here means not just “cut” but “eliminate,” emphasizing the potential destruction of the clan if proper care is not taken during sacred duties.
2. Genitive Apposition:
– שֵׁ֖בֶט מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַקְּהָתִ֑י is a noun phrase in which the tribal term שֵׁ֖בֶט is further specified by a construct phrase.
– The structure effectively names a subset within a subset: the tribe → the families → of the Qehatite group.
– This is a frequent stylistic feature in genealogical and legal passages, which require hierarchical clarity.
The command’s placement in the broader legal context of Numbers 4 (the duties of the Levites in transporting the Tabernacle) shows that this is more than a grammatical issue: it’s a warning against death by mishandling the sacred.
Why Jussive Prohibition and Appositive Precision Protect Sacred Order
The grammar of Numbers 4:18 serves the theology of Leviticus: sacred duty requires linguistic and procedural exactness. The jussive prohibition אַל־תַּכְרִ֕יתוּ is a legal imperative to preserve life—not just physically, but ritually. It conveys divine warning in a compressed grammatical structure.
The appositional phrase שֵׁ֖בֶט מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַקְּהָתִ֑י provides the specificity necessary to distinguish roles within the Levitical priesthood. This grammatical clarity mirrors the theological boundaries maintained by the law: sacredness is protected through precision, both ritual and grammatical.
In this way, Biblical Hebrew’s syntax reinforces its sacred worldview—where words define identity, structure preserves life, and grammar becomes a guardrail to holiness.
