King James Version

Exodus 19:15

And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙vayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָעָ֔םhaamthe peopleעַםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.הֱי֥וּheyvbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “be”, a commandH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.נְכֹנִ֖יםnekhonimbe fittedכּוּןverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “be fitted”, a verb used as a describing wordH3559properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous)certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth…לִשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתlishloshetto thirdשָׁלוֹשׁpreposition, adjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, construct — “to third”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).יָמִ֑יםyamimas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…אַֽלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תִּגְּשׁ֖וּtigshvbringנָגַשׁverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “bring”, a wish or indirect commandH5066to be or come (causatively, bring) near (for any purpose); euphemistically, to lie with a woman; as an enemy, to attack; religious to worship; causatively, to present; figuratively, to adduce an argument; by reversal, to stand back(make to) approach (nigh), bring (forth, hither, near), (cause to) come (hither, near, nigh), give place, go hard (up), (be, draw, go) near (nigh), offer, overtake, present, put, stand.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אִשָּֽׁהishaheachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he said unto the people: 'Be ready against the third day; come not near a woman.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not near a woman.

Young’s Literal Translation

and he saith unto the people, 'Be ye prepared for the third day, come not nigh unto a woman.'

World English Bible

He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.”

Darby Translation

And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day; do not come near [your] wives.

Douay-Rheims

He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And he said unto the people: 'Be ready against the third day; come not near a woman.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he said to the people, Be ready: for three days come not near to a woman.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε τῷ λαῷ, γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι, τρεῖς ἡμέρας μὴ προσέλθητε γυναικί.