וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ וַיַּקְשׁ֤וּ אֶת־עָרְפָּם֙ כְּעֹ֣רֶף אֲבֹותָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א הֶאֱמִ֔ינוּ בַּֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
But they did not listen, and they stiffened their neck like the neck of their fathers who did not believe in YHWH their God.
Morphology
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “But not”; Notes: Introduces contrast to the divine warning.
- שָׁמֵעוּ (shameʿu) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they listened” or “they obeyed”; Notes: Often implies hearing with intent to obey.
- וַיַּקְשׁוּ (va-yaqshu) – Root: קשה (qashah); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they stiffened”; Notes: Idiomatically refers to stubbornness or resistance.
- אֶת־עָרְפָּם (et-ʿorfam) – Root: ערף (ʿoref); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their neck”; Notes: Symbol of willfulness or obstinacy.
- כְּעֹרֶף (ke-ʿoref) – Root: ערף (ʿoref); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the neck”; Notes: Introduces the comparison to their ancestors.
- אֲבֹותָם (avotam) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their fathers”; Notes: Refers to previous generations of Yisraʾel.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause modifying “fathers.”
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “did not”; Notes: Denotes denial of belief.
- הֶאֱמִינוּ (heʾeminu) – Root: אמן (ʾaman); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they believed”; Notes: Hifil stem gives a causative sense—“put trust in.”
- בַּיהוָה (ba-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun with definite article; Translation: “in YHWH”; Notes: Object of belief.
- אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (ʾEloheihem) – Root: אלוה (ʾEloah); Form: Construct plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their God”; Notes: Emphasizes personal and covenantal relationship with YHWH.