דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ אִ֣ישׁ אֹֽו־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַעֲשׂוּ֙ מִכָּל־חַטֹּ֣את הָֽאָדָ֔ם לִמְעֹ֥ל מַ֖עַל בַּיהוָ֑ה וְאָֽשְׁמָ֖ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִֽוא׃
Numbers 5:6 opens a passage dealing with trespass against YHWH, yet its power rests not only in theological content but in grammatical subtlety. The final clause—וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא—contains a classic Biblical Hebrew feature: the predicate precedes the subject. This inversion, far from arbitrary, serves to emphasize the declaration of guilt, casting it like a legal verdict upon the “soul” that transgressed.
This article explores the syntactic impact of predicate-subject reversal and the role of the feminine perfect verb אָשְׁמָה as a theological marker in contexts of moral accountability.
Literal Translation
“Speak to the sons of Yisraʾel: any man or woman who commits any of the sins of humankind, to act treacherously a treachery against YHWH—and that soul shall be guilty.”
Word-by-Word Morphology
- דַּבֵּר (dabbēr) –
Root: ד־ב־ר;
Form: Piel imperative 2ms;
Translation: “Speak”;
Notes: Piel stem emphasizes direct communication; common in divine speech formulae. - אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (ʾel-bənê Yisraʾel) –
Root: א־ל, ב־נ־ה;
Form: preposition + construct phrase;
Translation: “to the sons of Yisraʾel” - אִישׁ אֹו־אִשָּׁה (ʾīsh ʾō-ʾishāh) –
Root: א־נ־ש, א־שׁ־ה;
Form: masculine + feminine noun pair;
Translation: “a man or a woman” - כִּי יַעֲשׂוּ (kī yaʿăśū) –
Root: ע־שׂ־ה;
Form: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3cp;
Translation: “when they do” - מִכָּל־חַטֹּאת הָאָדָם (mikkol-ḥaṭṭōt hāʾādām) –
Root: ח־ט־א, א־ד־ם;
Form: preposition + construct noun + noun with article;
Translation: “from any of the sins of humankind” - לִמְעֹל מַעַל (limʿōl māʿal) –
Root: מ־ע־ל;
Form: infinitive construct + direct object noun;
Translation: “to commit a trespass”;
Notes: Repetition for emphasis—a rhetorical figure (cognate accusative). - בַּיהוָה (baYHWH) –
Root: – ;
Form: preposition + proper name;
Translation: “against YHWH” - וְאָשְׁמָה (vəʾāshəmāh) –
Root: א־שׁ־ם;
Form: Qal perfect 3fs with vav;
Translation: “she is guilty”;
Notes: Feminine agrees with נֶפֶשׁ; placed first for emphasis. - הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא (hannéfesh hahiʾ) –
Root: נ־פ־ש, ה־ו־א;
Form: feminine noun + demonstrative pronoun;
Translation: “that soul”
Predicate-Subject Inversion: Emphasizing Guilt
The phrase וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא reverses the expected order. Rather than stating “the soul… became guilty“, the clause begins with the verb: אָשְׁמָה (“is guilty”). This fronting of the predicate intensifies the assertion—like a legal pronouncement. It transforms a descriptive statement into a formal charge.
This inversion appears elsewhere in legal or covenantal contexts, often to heighten the dramatic impact or signal divine authority. For example:
- וְנִשְׁאַר הַבַּיִת שָׁמֵם – “and the house was left desolate” (Isaiah 6:11)
- וְכָלָה הַדָּבָר – “and the matter was finished” (Daniel 12:7)
In each case, the verb leads to assert a completed state. In Numbers 5:6, the soul’s guilt is not only declared—it is emphatically sealed by grammatical structure.
More Than Guilt: A Theological Syntax
| Clause | Predicate | Subject | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא | אָשְׁמָה – “is guilty” | הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא – “that soul” | Emphasizes the verdict of guilt before naming the offender |
This syntactic structure not only delivers judgment—it shapes perception. The reader or hearer is made to feel the weight of guilt before even focusing on who is guilty. It mirrors the prophetic and priestly mode of pronouncement in ancient Israelite justice: clear, public, unambiguous.
The Grammar of Moral Gravity
In the wilderness tabernacle legislation, sins were not merely ritual errors—they were מַעַל (“acts of faithlessness”) against YHWH Himself. The grammar reflects this gravity. By placing אָשְׁמָה at the forefront, the verse strikes the hearer with the verdict before the subject even enters view.
This is the power of Hebrew syntax. It doesn’t just describe sin—it exposes it. It doesn’t only name guilt—it pronounces it with grammatical finality. And thus, through a single inverted clause, Numbers 5:6 embeds the divine sentence in the very structure of the sentence.
