Deuteronomy 22:6
כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־צִפֹּ֣ור לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵ֣ץ אֹ֣ו עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ אֹ֣ו בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֨צֶת֙ עַל־הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים אֹ֖ו עַל־הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־הַבָּנִֽים׃
Conditional Mercy: כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן־צִפֹּר לְפָנֶיךָ
כִּי — Often introducing conditional or causal clauses. Here: “If…”
יִקָּרֵא — Niphal imperfect 3ms from ק־ר־א, “to happen, encounter.” Passive voice: “is met with” or “is encountered.”
קַן־צִפֹּר — “A bird’s nest” — a construct chain: קַן (“nest”) in construct with צִפֹּר (“bird”).
לְפָנֶיךָ — “Before you,” i.e., you happen upon it. This sets up a real-life ethical scenario embedded in a simple grammar structure.
Descriptive Location: בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵץ אוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ
בַּדֶּרֶךְ — “on the road” — contextual setting.
בְּכָל־עֵץ — “in any tree” — specific possibilities for where the nest may be found.
אוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ — “or on the ground” — parallel prepositional phrases add realism and flexibility to the legal condition.
Construct Options: אֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים
אֶפְרֹחִים — “chicks,” plural of אֶפְרֹחַ.
בֵיצִים — “eggs.” Both options cover life stages of the bird, ensuring the law applies whether the nest holds young or unhatched offspring.
The Participial Mother: וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת
וְהָאֵם — “and the mother [bird]” — definite subject of the participial phrase.
רֹבֶצֶת — Qal participle fs from ר־ב־ץ, “to crouch, brood.” Indicates ongoing posture: “is sitting upon.” The participle conveys an image of ongoing action — nurturing, protective presence.
עַל־הָאֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִים — Location of brooding — echoing the earlier construct options. Grammar reinforces the mother’s role as caregiver regardless of stage.
The Moral Imperative: לֹא־תִקַּח הָאֵם עַל־הַבָּנִים
לֹא־תִקַּח — Qal imperfect 2ms with negation: “You shall not take.” The Hebrew prohibition here is expressed by the imperfect + לֹא, which gives it the force of a general command or legal ruling.
הָאֵם — “the mother” — definite article reinforced again.
עַל־הַבָּנִים — Literally “upon the children.” Here, בָּנִים refers idiomatically to chicks or eggs — the next generation. The grammar urges restraint and compassion: you may take the offspring, but not the nurturing mother who ensures continuity.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Deuteronomy 22:6
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| יִקָּרֵא | ק־ר־א | Niphal imperfect 3ms | “Be encountered” — passive future event |
| רֹבֶצֶת | ר־ב־ץ | Qal participle fs | “Is brooding” — continuous present action |
| תִקַּח | ל־ק־ח | Qal imperfect 2ms | “You shall take” — prohibition when negated |
The Mercy in the Syntax
This command, rooted in deceptively simple Hebrew, expresses divine concern for creation’s emotional order. Through participles and conditional syntax, the Torah requires sensitivity not just to law, but to life. The mother bird’s brooding presence, described with a participle, captures the moment’s vulnerability. Hebrew grammar enacts ethical restraint — a command that compassion and sustainability go hand in hand. What appears to be a minor agricultural law is in truth a poetic call for moral foresight, embedded in grammatical beauty.
