Tag Archives: Leviticus 4:24

Hands, Heads, and Holy Places: Ritual Syntax in Leviticus 4:24

Leviticus 4:24 וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדֹו֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשָׁחַ֣ט אֹתֹ֔ו בִּמְקֹ֛ום אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה חַטָּ֖את הֽוּא׃ Sequential Actions: וְסָמַ֤ךְ… וְשָׁחַ֣ט The verse opens with two wayyiqtol verbs: וְסָמַ֤ךְ (“and he shall lay”) and וְשָׁחַ֣ט (“and he shall slaughter”), from the roots ס־מ־ך and ש־ח־ט respectively. These forms are Qal wayyiqtol 3ms and represent sequential narrative events — typical in priestly and ritual texts to indicate ordered procedure. Prepositional Possession: יָדֹו עַל־רֹאשׁ יָדֹו (“his hand”) is the noun יָד with the 3ms pronominal suffix ־ו.… Learn Hebrew
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