תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃

   tif-SUM

   seize them
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 חַיִּ֥ים תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃

   kha-YIM tif-SUM

   alive seize them
3. clause🔊 וְאִ֧ם לְמִלְחָמָ֛ה יָצָ֖אוּ חַיִּ֥ים תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃

   ve-IM le-mil-kha-MA ya-TSU kha-YIM tif-SUM

   and if for war they have come out alive seize them
4. sentence🔊 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אִם־לְשָׁל֥וֹם יָצָ֖אוּ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֑ים וְאִ֧ם לְמִלְחָמָ֛ה יָצָ֖אוּ חַיִּ֥ים תִּפְשֽׂוּם׃

   va-YO-mer im-le-sha-LOM ya-TSU tif-SUM kha-YIM ve-IM le-mil-kha-MA ya-TSU kha-YIM tif-SUM

   and he said if for peace they have come out seize them alive and if for war they have come out alive seize them

Exegesis

The apodosis uses the Qal imperfect tifse’um {תִּפְשׂוּם | tippəšûm} with jussive force, modified by chayyim {חַיִּים | ḥayyîm} functioning adverbially ‘alive’. The asyndetic repetition of chayyim intensifies the unexpected command to take captives rather than kill them. English mirrors the protasis–apodosis conditional structure and preserves the imperative mood.