Summary

The verse sets a legal limit on corporal punishment: a maximum of 'arba'im ("forty [times]", H0705) strikes is permitted, with an explicit prohibition against exceeding this number. The rationale given is that additional blows beyond this limit would result in the public dishonor of the "brother" ('achikha, H0251I) in the sight of the community.

Key words

• 'ar.ba.'Im ("forty [times]", H0705) — masculine plural noun functioning as the numerical limit; stands first in the sentence, giving it emphasis as the governing figure for the action.
• yak.Ke.nu ("he will strike him", H5221 + H9033) — hiphil imperfect verb with pronominal suffix; the hiphil stem indicates a causative action (one party causes the striking to happen to another).
• lo' yo.Sif ("he will not increase", H3808 + H3254G) — negation plus hiphil imperfect; the hiphil of this verb specifically means "to add to" or "increase," so the phrase forbids adding further strikes.
• pen-yo.Sif ("lest he should increase", H6435 + H3254G) — the same hiphil verb repeated after the subordinating particle pen, reinforcing the prohibition by stating the negative consequence that must be avoided.
• niq.Lah ("he will be dishonored", H7034) — niphal (passive) sequential perfect; the niphal stem marks the subject (the "brother") as the one who undergoes dishonor, rather than performing an action himself.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence structure places the number 'ar.ba.'Im ("forty [times]", H0705) at the very start, before the verb yak.Ke.nu ("he will strike him", H5221), which fronts the numerical limit as the main point of the clause. This is followed immediately by lo' yo.Sif ("he will not increase", H3254G), a direct prohibition against exceeding that number.

The second half of the verse explains the consequence through a pen ("lest", H6435) clause — a subordinating particle introducing what must be avoided. The infinitive ha.ko.T ("to strike", H5221) with the suffix o ("him") describes the additional striking that is prohibited. The phrase 'al-'elleh ("to/beyond these", H5921A + H0428) refers back to the 'arba'im ("forty", H0705) already mentioned, marking it as the threshold not to be crossed. The noun ma.Kah ("striking", H4347) combined with the adjective ra.Bah ("much", H7227A) describes the excess as "a great striking."

The narrative vav (H9001) prefixed to niq.Lah ("he will be dishonored", H7034) sequences this outcome as a consequence following the prior action. The niphal stem of this verb marks the "brother" ('achikha, H0251I, construct form "your brother") as the one affected passively — the dishonor happens to him, not by his own action. The final phrase le'einekha ("to your eyes", H5869H construct + suffix) specifies that this dishonor occurs visibly, "before your eyes."

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the Hebrew 'ar.ba.'Im ("forty", H0705) with the compound Greek term τεσσεράκοντα (here transmitted as "τεσσεπάκοντα"), and adds the phrase "καὶ ἀριθμῷ" ("and in number"), an element not explicit in the Hebrew word-by-word data. The LXX also renders the twice-repeated Hebrew verb yo.Sif ("he will increase", H3254G) using two different Greek verb forms across the clauses (προσθήσουσιν and προσθῇς), where the Hebrew uses the same root in both instances. The Vulgate condenses the structure, using ne foede laceratus ("lest torn shamefully") to render the concept expressed in Hebrew by niq.Lah ("he will be dishonored", H7034) combined with ma.Kah ra.Bah ("great striking", H4347 + H7227A), merging elements the Hebrew keeps as separate clauses.