Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 15:16–17

¹⁶But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, ¹⁷then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.

Read all of Deuteronomy 15

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Deuteronomy 15:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But if	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
your servant says	יֹאמַ֣ר	yō·mar	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to you	אֵלֶ֔יךָ	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to
I do not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
want to leave	אֵצֵ֖א	’ê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3318 go or come out
you	מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ	mê·‘im·māḵ	Preposition-m; second person masculine singular	H5973 with
because	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he loves	אֲהֵֽבְךָ֙	’ă·hê·ḇə·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H157 love
you	וְאֶת־	wə·’eṯ-	Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker	H853 mark of the accusative
and your household	בֵּיתֶ֔ךָ	bê·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1004 house
and	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
is well off	ט֥וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2895 pleasing, good
with you	עִמָּֽךְ׃	‘im·māḵ	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H5973 with

Deuteronomy 15:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
then take	וְלָקַחְתָּ֣	wə·lā·qaḥ·tā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H3947 take
an awl	הַמַּרְצֵ֗עַ	ham·mar·ṣê·a‘	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4836 boring-instrument, awl
and pierce	וְנָתַתָּ֤ה	wə·nā·ṯat·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
through his ear	בְאָזְנוֹ֙	ḇə·’ā·zə·nōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H241 ear
into the door	וּבַדֶּ֔לֶת	ū·ḇad·de·leṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H1817 door
and he will become	וְהָיָ֥ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
your	לְךָ֖	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
servant	עֶ֣בֶד	‘e·ḇeḏ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H5650 slave, servant
for life	עוֹלָ֑ם	‘ō·w·lām	Noun - masculine singular	H5769 long duration, antiquity, futurity
And	וְאַ֥ף	wə·’ap̄	Conjunction	H637 also, yea
treat	תַּעֲשֶׂה־	ta·‘ă·śeh-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
your maidservant	לַאֲמָתְךָ֖	la·’ă·mā·ṯə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H519 maid, handmaid
the same way	כֵּֽן׃	kên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Deuteronomy 15:16 Exodus 21:5–6 · Psalm 40:8

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.