תִּפְשׂ֣וּם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 תִּפְשׂ֣וּם

   tif-SUM

   seize them
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֑ים

   tif-SUM kha-YIM

   seize them alive
3. clause🔊 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אִם־לְשָׁל֥וֹם יָצָ֖אוּ תִּפְשׂ֣וּם חַיִּ֑ים

   va-YO-mer im-le-sha-LOM ya-TSU tif-SUM kha-YIM

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