וַיַּ֜עַל עַֽל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֗ל בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יֹום֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּדָ֣א מִלִּבֹּ֑ו וַיַּ֤עַשׂ חָג֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּ֥עַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לְהַקְטִֽיר׃ פ
And he went up to the altar that he had made in Beit-ʾel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he made a festival for the children of Yisraʾel and went up to the altar to burn incense.
Morphology
- וַיַּ֜עַל (va-yaʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿ.l.h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he went up”; Notes: Describes cultic ascent to the altar.
- עַֽל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ (ʿal ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (z.b.ḥ); Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “to the altar”; Notes: The unauthorized altar built by Yarovʿam.
- אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה (ʾasher ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “that he had made”; Notes: Refers to Yarovʿam’s construction in Beit-ʾEl.
- בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֗ל (be-Veit-ʾEl) – Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Beit-ʾEl”; Notes: Key center of idolatrous worship.
- בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יֹום֙ (ba-ḥamishah ʿasar yom) – Form: Numeral phrase; Translation: “on the fifteenth day”; Notes: Matches the date of the Sukkot festival in Torah, but altered month.
- בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י (ba-ḥodesh ha-shemini) – Root: חדש (ḥ.d.sh); Form: Noun + ordinal adjective; Translation: “in the eighth month”; Notes: Unbiblical timing of the festival.
- בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּדָ֣א (ba-ḥodesh ʾasher bada) – Root: בדא (b.d.ʾ); Form: Noun + relative clause; Translation: “in the month that he had devised”; Notes: Indicates innovation outside divine command.
- מִלִּבֹּ֑ו (mil-libbo) – Root: לב (l.b); Form: Preposition + noun with 3ms suffix; Translation: “from his own heart”; Notes: Stresses human origin of the new religious system.
- וַיַּ֤עַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he made”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- חָג֙ (ḥag) – Root: חגג (ḥ.g.g); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “a festival”; Notes: Imitating the moedim (appointed feasts) of YHWH.
- לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (livnei Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (b.n); Form: Preposition + construct plural + proper noun; Translation: “for the children of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the northern tribes.
- וַיַּ֥עַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ (va-yaʿal ʿal ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: עלה (ʿ.l.h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol repeated; Translation: “and he went up to the altar”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes his role as both king and cultic leader.
- לְהַקְטִֽיר (le-haqtir) – Root: קטר (q.t.r); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to burn incense”; Notes: Priestly action, further emphasizing illegitimacy of his role.