Learn Icelandic: Boðskapurinn sem túlkaður var er skýr. - The message which was interpreted is clear.

This is an example of stylistic fronting, which you are focusing on in this lesson. In relative clauses starting with sem, the past participle (túlkaður) is often moved in front of the auxiliary verb (var). This creates a slightly more formal or literary tone, but the meaning stays exactly the same as the standard word order.

Why do both túlkaður and skýr end in -ur?

Both words are describing Boðskapurinn (the message). Since boðskapur is a masculine noun in the nominative case, both the past participle (túlkaður) and the adjective (skýr) must agree with it by taking the masculine singular nominative ending -ur.

Would I use boðskapur to talk about a text message or an email?

No, boðskapur refers to a message with a deeper meaning, such as the moral of a story, a political platform, or a religious teaching. If you want to talk about a literal, everyday message like a text or an email, you should use the plural noun skilaboð.

Is it grammatically correct to have the verbs var and er right next to each other?