וַיְחַפְּא֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל דְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־כֵ֔ן עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּבְנ֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם בָּמֹות֙ בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל נֹוצְרִ֖ים עַד־עִ֥יר מִבְצָֽר׃
And the sons of Yisraʾel secretly did things that were not right against YHWH their God, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortified city.
Morphology
- וַיְחַפְּאוּ (va-yeḥappeʾu) – Root: חפא (ḥafaʾ); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they secretly did” or “covered up”; Notes: Rare verb form meaning to do something covertly or deceitfully.
- בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (benei-Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (ben) + ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct plural noun + proper noun; Translation: “sons of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the people of the northern kingdom.
- דְּבָרִים (devarim) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “things” or “acts”; Notes: Often used for matters, deeds, or words.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause modifying “things.”
- לֹא־כֵן (lo-khen) – Root: לא (lo) + כן (khen); Form: Negative particle + adverb; Translation: “not right”; Notes: Refers to actions that were improper or illegitimate.
- עַל־יְהוָה (ʿal-YHWH) – Root: על (ʿal) + יהוה (YHWH); Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “against YHWH”; Notes: Indicates opposition or rebellion.
- אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (ʾEloheihem) – Root: אלוה (ʾEloah); Form: Plural construct noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their God”; Notes: Emphasizes covenantal relationship violated.
- וַיִּבְנוּ (va-yivnu) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they built”; Notes: Refers to the active construction of cultic sites.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for themselves”; Notes: Indicates personal initiative.
- בָּמֹות (bamot) – Root: במה (bamah); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “high places”; Notes: Elevated places for idol worship, prohibited by Torah.
- בְּכָל־עָרֵיהֶם (be-khol-ʿareihem) – Root: כל (kol) + עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + noun in construct plural with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “in all their cities”; Notes: Emphasizes widespread apostasy.
- מִמִּגְדַּל נֹוצְרִים (mi-migdal notserim) – Root: מגדל (migdal) + נצר (natsar); Form: Preposition + noun + participle/plural noun; Translation: “from the tower of the watchers”; Notes: Refers to remote watchposts or lookout stations.
- עַד־עִיר מִבְצָר (ʿad-ʿir mivtsar) – Root: עיר (ʿir) + בצר (batsar); Form: Preposition + noun + construct noun; Translation: “to the fortified city”; Notes: Expresses the full extent of their building activity—from border to urban center.