Exodus 21:23:6Exod.21.23.W6TAB
נָֽפֶשׁ׃
nafesh
“life”
- Transliteration
- NA-fesh
- Extended
- NAA-fesh
- IPA
- /ˈnaː.fɛʃ/
Meaning by language
- English
- life
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Nun | n as in new | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot |
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The word
Word in context
- word
NA-fesh
- phraseyour reading level
TA-khat NA-fesh
- clause
ve-na-tat-TA NE-fesh TA-khat NA-fesh
- sentence
ve-im-a-SON yih-YEH ve-na-tat-TA NE-fesh TA-khat NA-fesh
Exegesis
The apodosis opens with the vav consecutive in venatatah {וְנָתַתָּה | wə-nā-ṯa-tāh}, followed by the formula nephesh tachat nephesh {נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ | ne-pheš ta-ḥaṯ nā-pheš}, where tachat indicates legal substitution. This parallelism underlines the principle of equal retribution in the covenant code.
Root and etymology
Rootnun–pe–shin
“breath, life”
In context — Exodus 21:23
If harm occurs, you shall give life for life.
About this coordinate
Exodus 21:23:6 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 6 of Exodus 21:23, so the Hebrew word נָֽפֶשׁ׃ (nafesh) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Exod.21.23.W6, which extends further down to each syllable (Exod.21.23.W6.S1) and character.