וַתִּקְרַ֡בְנָה לִפְנֵי֩ אֶלְעָזָ֨ר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וְלִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וְלִפְנֵ֤י הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָה֙ צִוָּ֣ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָֽתֶת־לָ֥נוּ נַחֲלָ֖ה בְּתֹ֣וךְ אַחֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֜ם אֶל־פִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ נַֽחֲלָ֔ה בְּתֹ֖וךְ אֲחֵ֥י אֲבִיהֶֽן׃
(Joshua 17:4)
This verse tells the story of women who boldly stood before Israel’s leaders to claim their rightful inheritance. It’s a wonderful passage for beginners because it includes verbs in multiple forms, prepositions, speech formulas, and rich narrative flow. Let’s examine it closely!
English Translation (Plain and Clear)
And they came near before Elʿazar the priest, and before Yehoshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying: “YHWH commanded Moshe to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So he gave them an inheritance, by the mouth of YHWH, among the brothers of their father.
Sentence Structure: Who’s Doing What?
This verse includes two major sections:
- וַתִּקְרַבְנָה… — “And they came near…” → The women approach the leaders.
- לֵאמֹר… יְהוָה צִוָּה… — “Saying: ‘YHWH commanded…’” → Their legal plea.
- וַיִּתֵּן… — “And he gave…” → The response and fulfillment.
We’ll now look at each word and phrase in detail.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| Hebrew Word | Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| וַתִּקְרַבְנָה | And they came near | Wayyiqtol verb, feminine plural (from קָרַב). Refers to the daughters of Tselofḥad. The -נָה ending marks feminine plural. |
| לִפְנֵי | before / in front of | Preposition meaning “before” or “in the presence of.” Used three times in a row. |
| אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן | Elʿazar the priest | The first official they approach. Elʿazar was the high priest. |
| וְלִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻעַ בִּן־נוּן | and before Yehoshua son of Nun | Leader of Israel after Moshe. בֶּן־נוּן = “son of Nun.” |
| וְלִפְנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִים | and before the leaders | נְשִׂיאִים = “chiefs” or “princes,” referring to tribal leaders. |
| לֵאמֹר | saying | Infinitive used to introduce direct speech in Hebrew narrative. |
| יְהוָה צִוָּה | YHWH commanded | צִוָּה = perfect (past) verb, 3rd person masculine singular from צָוָה (“to command”). |
| אֶת־מֹשֶׁה | Moshe | אֶת marks the direct object; the one commanded was Moshe. |
| לָתֶת־לָנוּ נַחֲלָה | to give to us an inheritance | לָתֶת = infinitive form of נָתַן (“to give”), + לָנוּ (“to us”). נַחֲלָה = “inheritance.” |
| בְּתוֹךְ אַחֵינוּ | among our brothers | בְּתוֹךְ = “among.” אַחֵינוּ = “our brothers.” The claim is that they should share land with the men. |
| וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם | And he gave to them | Wayyiqtol verb from נָתַן, 3rd masculine singular (“he gave”), referring to Yehoshua or the national leaders. לָהֶם = “to them.” |
| אֶל־פִּי יְהוָה | according to the mouth of YHWH | A Hebrew idiom meaning “according to the command of YHWH.” פִּי is the construct of פֶּה (“mouth”). |
| נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אֲבִיהֶן | an inheritance among the brothers of their father | Restates the outcome: they received land among male relatives. אֲבִיהֶן = “their father.” |
Visual: The Legal Argument and Response
| Action | Speaker/Doer | Target |
|---|---|---|
| וַתִּקְרַבְנָה — they came near | Daughters of Tselofḥad | Before priest, leader, and chiefs |
| צִוָּה… לָתֶת לָנוּ — commanded to give us | YHWH (quoted) | To Moshe |
| וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם — and he gave to them | Yehoshua or officials | The daughters |
What We Learned from This Sentence
- You saw a feminine plural verb: וַתִּקְרַבְנָה, showing subject-verb gender agreement.
- You practiced Hebrew speech structure using לֵאמֹר and direct quotation.
- You explored possessive forms like אֲבִיהֶן (“their father”) and אַחֵינוּ (“our brothers”).
- You learned a legal idiom: אֶל־פִּי יְהוָה — “according to the mouth of YHWH.”
This verse shows how Hebrew tells stories of justice, law, and faithfulness—using precise forms and elegant structure. You’re now reading not just words, but testimony in the language of Scripture.
