לֹ֥א

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לֹ֥א

   LO

   not
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב׃

   LO yik-RAV

   not he approaches or comes near
3. clause🔊 וְאֶת־אֵ֤שֶׁת רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א טִמֵּ֔א וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב׃

   ve-et-E-shet re-E-hu LO tim-ME ve-el-ish-SHA nid-DA LO yik-RAV

   and the wife of his neighbor not he defiled and to a woman of menstruation or impurity not he approaches or comes near
4. sentence🔊 אֶל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ לֹ֣א אָכָ֔ל וְעֵינָיו֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔א אֶל־גִּלּוּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֶת־אֵ֤שֶׁת רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א טִמֵּ֔א וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב׃

   el-ha-he-ha-RIM LO a-KHAL ve-e-NAIV LO na-SA el-gil-lu-LE BET yis-ra-EL ve-et-E-shet re-E-hu LO tim-ME ve-el-ish-SHA nid-DA LO yik-RAV

   to the mountains not he ate and his eyes not he lifted up to the idols of house of Israel and the wife of his neighbor not he defiled and to a woman of menstruation or impurity not he approaches or comes near

Exegesis

The verse employs four parallel prohibitions introduced by lo {לֹא | lō} ‘not’.

The clause ve-einav lo nasa {וְעֵינָיו֙ לֹא נָשָׂא | wə-ʿê-nāw lō nā-śāʾ} ‘nor lift his eyes’ metaphorically indicates seeking idols, with gillulei {גִּלּוּלֵ֖י | gil-lū-lê} ‘idols’ specifying the objects.

The final clause ve-el ishah niddah lo yikrav {וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב | wə-ʾel i ššā nid-dā lō yiq-rāḇ} prohibits approach to a menstruous woman, with niddah {נִדָּה | nid-dā} ‘menstrual impurity’ as the governing noun. The parallel structure underscores comprehensive moral purity.

Root and etymology

Root🔊 א־מ־רaleph–mem–resh

“to say, utter”

• 🔊 אָמַר’āmarhe saidGenesis 1:3