וַיִּהְי֣וּ הַגֹּויִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה יְרֵאִים֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְאֶת־פְּסִֽילֵיהֶ֖ם הָי֣וּ עֹֽבְדִ֑ים גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם וּבְנֵ֣י בְנֵיהֶ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשׂ֤וּ אֲבֹתָם֙ הֵ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃ פ
And these nations were fearing YHWH, and their idols they were serving; even their sons and the sons of their sons; as their fathers did, they are doing until this day.
Morphology
- וַיִּהְיוּ (va-yihyu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they were”; Notes: Introduces the main clause about the nations’ dual behavior.
- הַגֹּויִם (ha-goyim) – Root: גוי; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the nations”; Notes: Refers to Gentile peoples residing in the land.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-ʾelleh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “these”; Notes: Modifies “the nations.”
- יְרֵאִים (yereʾim) – Root: ירא; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “fearing”; Notes: Indicates religious reverence, though mixed with idolatry.
- אֶת־יְהוָה (et-YHWH) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker + divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Object of their fear—YHWH alongside idols.
- וְאֶת־פְּסִילֵיהֶם (ve-et-pesileihem) – Root: פסל; Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their idols”; Notes: Contrasts their worship of YHWH with continued idolatry.
- הָיוּ (hayu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were”; Notes: Auxiliary verb used with participle for past continuous.
- עֹבְדִים (ʿovdim) – Root: עבד; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “serving”; Notes: Denotes ongoing worship of idols.
- גַּם (gam) – Root: גם; Form: Adverb; Translation: “also” / “even”; Notes: Adds emphasis to continuation in descendants.
- בְּנֵיהֶם (benehem) – Root: בן; Form: Construct noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their sons”; Notes: First generation following the nations.
- וּבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם (u-vene venehem) – Root: בן; Form: Conjunction + construct noun + construct noun + suffix; Translation: “and the sons of their sons”; Notes: Indicates grandchildren—third generation.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka-ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Preposition כְּ + relative pronoun; Translation: “as” / “just as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison clause.
- עָשׂוּ (ʿasu) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they did”; Notes: Refers to past practices of the fathers.
- אֲבֹתָם (avotam) – Root: אב; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their fathers”; Notes: Ancestral model of behavior.
- הֵם (hem) – Root: הם; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic subject of the participle “doing.”
- עֹשִׂים (ʿosim) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are doing”; Notes: Indicates current, habitual continuation of prior deeds.
- עַד (ʿad) – Root: עד; Form: Preposition; Translation: “until”; Notes: Signals continuation over time.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Refers to “this day,” with demonstrative emphasis following.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the current time in the writer’s view.