וַיַּֽעַבְד֖וּ הַגִּלֻּלִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
And they served the idols, about which YHWH had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”
Morphology
- וַיַּעַבְדוּ (va-yaʿavdu) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they served”; Notes: Refers to religious worship or devotion, here wrongly directed to idols.
- הַגִּלֻּלִים (ha-gillulim) – Root: גּלל (gillul); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the idols”; Notes: Pejorative term for detestable or abominable idols, often implying uncleanness or worthlessness.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which” or “about which”; Notes: Refers to the objects of their worship.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “had said”; Notes: Refers to prior divine instruction.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The speaker of the prohibition.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces a direct prohibition.
- תַעֲשׂוּ (taʿasu) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall do”; Notes: Refers to future or general action, here in the form of a command.
- אֶת־הַדָּבָר (et-ha-davar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Definite direct object phrase; Translation: “this thing”; Notes: The specific act of idol worship is being prohibited.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative adjective masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Emphatic, referring to the aforementioned idolatry.