קֻרְבָּנֵיהּ מְגִסְתָּא דִכְסַף חֲדָא מְאָה וּתְלָתִין סִלְעִין הֲוָה מַתְקְלַהּ מִזְרְקָא חַד דִּכְסַף מַתְקְלֵיהּ שַׁבְעִין סִלְעִין בְּסִלְעֵי קוּדְשָׁא תַּרְוֵיהוֹן מְלַן סֻלְתָּא דְּפִילָא בִמְשַׁח לְמִנְחָתָא
(Numbers 7:31, Targum Onkelos)
His offering: one silver bowl—its weight was one hundred and thirty sheqels; one silver basin—its weight was seventy sheqels, according to the sheqels of the sanctuary; both of them were filled with fine flour mixed with oil for the grain offering.
The Grammar of Quantified Worship
Though this passage lists weights and vessels, its grammar functions as liturgical architecture. In Onkelean Aramaic, every vessel is named with precision, every verb describes sanctified action, and every construct chain aligns with the Torah’s demand for accuracy in holy things. Language becomes an offering—structured, counted, and sealed.
1. קֻרְבָּנֵיהּ — “His offering”
- Construct noun: קֻרְבָּן + 3ms suffix = “his offering.”
- Root: ק־ר־ב, used across sacrificial literature.
- Leads grammatically into a detailed list of items.
2. מְגִסְתָּא דִכְסַף … הֲוָה מַתְקְלַהּ — “One silver bowl … its weight was…”
- מְגִסְתָּא — “bowl,” attested in Targum usage (cf. Targum to Exod 25:31); feminine.
- דִכְסַף — “of silver,” genitive construct.
- חֲדָא — feminine numeral “one” (agrees with מגסתא).
- מְאָה וּתְלָתִין סִלְעִין — “one hundred and thirty sheqels.”
- הֲוָה מַתְקְלַהּ — “its weight was”; from root ת־ק־ל (“to weigh”).
- מַתְקְלַהּ is an abstract noun (“its weight”) + 3fs suffix.
3. מִזְרְקָא … מַתְקְלֵיהּ — “One silver basin … its weight…”
- מִזְרְקָא — “basin,” from root ז־ר־ק (“to sprinkle”); masculine, despite final -א.
- מַתְקְלֵיהּ — “its weight,” noun + 3ms suffix.
- שַׁבְעִין סִלְעִין — “seventy sheqels.”
4. בְּסִלְעֵי קוּדְשָׁא — “in sacred sheqels”
- סִלְעֵי — Construct plural of סֶלַע.
- קוּדְשָׁא — “of holiness” (i.e., sanctuary weight standard).
5. תַּרְוֵיהוֹן מְלַן סֻלְתָּא דְּפִילָא בִמְשַׁח לְמִנְחָתָא — “Both of them were filled with fine flour mixed with oil for the offering”
- תַּרְוֵיהוֹן — Dual pronoun: “both of them.”
- מְלַן — Peʿal perfect 3mp of מלא: “they were filled.”
- סֻלְתָּא — “fine flour.”
- דְּפִילָא — Passive participle; interpreted here as “mixed.”
- Note: The root פ־ל־ל usually means “to intercede” or “to judge.” Its use here to mean “mix” is rare and possibly dialectal or metaphorical. A more typical Aramaic term would be מְעַרְבָּב or מְבֻלָּל.
- This reading is contextually plausible but lexically unconventional.
- בִמְשַׁח — “with oil” (from משׁחא).
- לְמִנְחָתָא — “for the grain offering.”
Priestly Grammar Table
| Phrase | Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|
| קֻרְבָּנֵיהּ | his offering | Construct noun + 3ms suffix |
| הֲוָה מַתְקְלַהּ | its weight was | Peʿal perfect + noun + 3fs suffix |
| מִזְרְקָא … מַתְקְלֵיהּ | the basin … its weight | Masculine noun with matching 3ms suffix |
| בְּסִלְעֵי קוּדְשָׁא | in sanctuary sheqels | Construct chain + abstract noun |
| מְלַן סֻלְתָּא דְּפִילָא | they were filled with fine flour mixed | Peʿal perfect 3mp + noun + rare passive participle |
When Syntax Weighs Gold
What appears as a simple list of offerings becomes, in Onkelean Aramaic, a grammar of sanctity. Every verb measures intention. Every construct chain preserves form. The rare word דְּפִילָא reminds us that language—like sacrifice—must be weighed with care. Targum Onkelos doesn’t just report holy things; it speaks them into their ritual precision.
When holiness is measured, syntax is the scale.
