The Meaning of Deuteronomy 22:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 22:6

KJV: If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

YLT: 'When a bird's nest cometh before thee in the way, in any tree, or on the earth, brood or eggs, and the mother sitting on the brood or on the eggs, thou dost not take the mother with the young ones;

Darby: If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree, or upon the ground, with young or with eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

ASV: If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If a bird's  nest  chance  to be before  thee in the way  in any tree,  or on the ground,  [whether they be] young ones,  or eggs,  and the dam  sitting  upon the young,  or upon the eggs,  thou shalt not take  the dam  with the young: 

What does Deuteronomy 22:6 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 22

1  Of humanity toward brothers
5  The sex is to be distinguished by apparel
6  The bird is not to be taken with her young ones
8  The house must have battlements
9  Confusion is to be avoided
12  Tassels upon the vesture
13  The punishment of him who slanders his wife
22  of adultery
23  of rape
28  of fornication
30  of incest

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 22:6 mean?

If happens to be nest of a bird before you along the way in any tree or on the ground with chicks eggs and with the mother sitting the chicks the eggs not you shall take the mother with the young
כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־ צִפּ֣וֹר ׀ לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכָל־ עֵ֣ץ ׀ א֣וֹ עַל־ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙ הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־ תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־ הַבָּנִֽים

יִקָּרֵ֣א  happens  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
קַן־  nest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֵן  
Sense: nest.
צִפּ֣וֹר ׀  of  a  bird 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צִפֹּור  
Sense: bird, fowl.
לְפָנֶ֡יךָ  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ  along  the  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
בְּכָל־  in  any 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֣ץ ׀  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  ground 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֶפְרֹחִים֙  with  chicks 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֶפְרֹחַ  
Sense: young, young one (of birds).
בֵיצִ֔ים  eggs 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: בֵּיצָה  
Sense: egg.
וְהָאֵ֤ם  and  with  the  mother 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: רָבַץ  
Sense: to stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out.
הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים  the  chicks 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֶפְרֹחַ  
Sense: young, young one (of birds).
הַבֵּיצִ֑ים  the  eggs 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בֵּיצָה  
Sense: egg.
תִקַּ֥ח  you  shall  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
הָאֵ֖ם  the  mother 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
הַבָּנִֽים  the  young 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.