וַיַּ֣עַשׂ יָרָבְעָ֣ם חָ֡ג בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִ֣י בַּחֲמִשָּֽׁה־עָשָׂר֩ יֹ֨ום לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ כֶּחָ֣ג אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּיהוּדָ֗ה וַיַּ֨עַל֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כֵּ֤ן עָשָׂה֙ בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֔ל לְזַבֵּ֖חַ לָעֲגָלִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֑ה וְהֶעֱמִיד֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔ל אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֥י הַבָּמֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃
And Yarovʿam made a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that is in Yehuda, and he went up to the altar. So he did in Beit-ʾel, to sacrifice to the calves that he had made. And he stationed in Beit ʾEl the priests of the high places that he had made.
Morphology
- וַיַּ֣עַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he made”; Notes: Begins a description of Yarovʿam’s religious innovation.
- יָרָבְעָ֣ם (Yarovʿam) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yarovʿam”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- חָ֡ג (ḥag) – Root: חגג (ḥ.g.g); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a festival”; Notes: Imitation of the pilgrimage festival in Yehudah.
- בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִ֣י (ba-ḥodesh ha-shemini) – Root: חדש (ḥ.d.sh); Form: Preposition + definite noun + ordinal adjective; Translation: “in the eighth month”; Notes: Contrasts with the seventh month festival in Torah.
- בַּחֲמִשָּֽׁה־עָשָׂר֩ יֹ֨ום לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ (ba-ḥamishah-ʿasar yom la-ḥodesh) – Form: Numerical phrase + noun; Translation: “on the fifteenth day of the month”; Notes: Same date as Sukkot but altered month.
- כֶּחָ֣ג אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּיהוּדָ֗ה (ke-ḥag ʾasher bi-Yehudah) – Root: חגג (ḥ.g.g); Form: Comparison + relative clause; Translation: “like the festival that is in Yehudah”; Notes: Indicates deliberate imitation.
- וַיַּ֨עַל (va-yaʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿ.l.h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he went up”; Notes: Ascending for sacrifice, as at the Temple.
- עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ (ʿal ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (z.b.ḥ); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “to the altar”; Notes: A cultic altar outside Jerusalem.
- כֵּ֤ן עָשָׂה֙ (ken ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Adverb + perfect verb; Translation: “so he did”; Notes: Continues narrative repetition.
- בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֔ל (be-Veit-ʾEl) – Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Beit-ʾEl”; Notes: Major cult site established by Yarovʿam.
- לְזַבֵּ֖חַ (le-zabbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (z.b.ḥ); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to sacrifice”; Notes: Purpose of going up to the altar.
- לָעֲגָלִ֣ים (la-ʿagalim) – Root: עגל (ʿ.g.l); Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine plural; Translation: “to the calves”; Notes: Objects of illegitimate worship.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה (ʾasher ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Relative pronoun + perfect verb; Translation: “that he had made”; Notes: Attribution of idol-making to Yarovʿam.
- וְהֶעֱמִיד֙ (ve-heʿemid) – Root: עמד (ʿ.m.d); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he stationed”; Notes: Placing priests in their roles.
- בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔ל (be-Veit-ʾEl) – Form: Repetition of location; Translation: “in Beit-ʾEl”; Notes: Location of the golden calf worship site.
- אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֥י הַבָּמֹ֖ות (et-kohanei ha-bamot) – Root: כהן (k.h.n) / במה (b.m.h); Form: Direct object + construct plural noun + definite plural noun; Translation: “the priests of the high places”; Notes: Illegitimate priesthood established by Yarovʿam.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה (ʾasher ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Relative pronoun + perfect verb; Translation: “that he had made”; Notes: Reaffirms Yarovʿam’s human invention of the cult system.