וַיִּקְרָ֤א עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ מִזְבֵּ֣חַ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּֽה־בֵ֞ן נֹולָ֤ד לְבֵית־דָּוִד֙ יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ שְׁמֹ֔ו וְזָבַ֣ח עָלֶ֗יךָ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֤י הַבָּמֹות֙ הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ וְעַצְמֹ֥ות אָדָ֖ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ עָלֶֽיךָ׃
And he cried out against the altar by the word of YHWH, and said, “Altar, altar! Thus says YHWH: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of Dawid—Yoshiyyahu is his name—and he shall sacrifice upon you the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones shall be burned upon you.’”
Morphology
- וַיִּקְרָ֤א (va-yiqra) – Root: קרא (q.r.ʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he cried out”; Notes: Prophetic proclamation addressed publicly.
- עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ (ʿal ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (z.b.ḥ); Form: Preposition + definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “against the altar”; Notes: The object of condemnation.
- בִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה (bi-devar YHWH) – Root: דבר (d.b.r); Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “by the word of YHWH”; Notes: Indicates divine origin of the message.
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s direct speech.
- מִזְבֵּ֣חַ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ (mizbeaḥ mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (z.b.ḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular repeated; Translation: “Altar, altar”; Notes: Repetition indicates emphasis and gravity.
- כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה (koh amar YHWH) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular + proper noun; Translation: “Thus says YHWH”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula.
- הִנֵּֽה־בֵ֞ן (hinneh-ben) – Root: הנה (h.n.h) / בן (b.n); Form: Interjection + noun; Translation: “Behold, a son”; Notes: Introduction of future prophetic event.
- נֹולָ֤ד (nolad) – Root: ילד (y.l.d); Form: Nifal participle, masculine singular; Translation: “shall be born”; Notes: Passive voice, indicating future event.
- לְבֵית־דָּוִד֙ (le-veit-Dawid) – Root: בית (b.y.t); Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “to the house of Dawid”; Notes: Refers to the Davidic royal lineage.
- יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ (Yoshiyyahu) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yoshiyyahu”; Notes: The future reforming king of Yehudah.
- שְׁמֹ֔ו (shemo) – Root: שם (š.m); Form: Noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “is his name”; Notes: Identifies the prophesied individual.
- וְזָבַ֣ח (ve-zavaḥ) – Root: זבח (z.b.ḥ); Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and he shall sacrifice”; Notes: Predictive use of the perfect with vav-consecutive.
- עָלֶ֗יךָ (ʿalekha) – Root: על (ʿ.l); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon you”; Notes: Directly addressing the altar.
- אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֤י הַבָּמֹות֙ (et-kohanei ha-bamot) – Root: כהן (k.h.n) / במה (b.m.h); Form: Direct object marker + construct plural noun + definite plural noun; Translation: “the priests of the high places”; Notes: Targets the cult personnel in Yarovʿam’s system.
- הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים (ha-maqtirim) – Root: קטר (q.t.r); Form: Hifil participle masculine plural, definite; Translation: “who burn incense”; Notes: Describes their ongoing illicit cultic activity.
- עָלֶ֔יךָ (ʿalekha) – see earlier entry; Translation: “upon you”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the site of judgment.
- וְעַצְמֹ֥ות אָדָ֖ם (ve-ʿatsmot adam) – Root: עצם (ʿ.ts.m) / אדם (ʾ.d.m); Form: Noun plural construct + noun; Translation: “human bones”; Notes: Impurity and desecration motif.
- יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ עָלֶֽיךָ (yisrefu ʿalekha) – Root: שרף (ś.r.p); Form: Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall burn upon you”; Notes: Describes the desecration of the altar through burning bones.