ה֣וּא הֵסִ֣יר אֶת־הַבָּמֹ֗ות וְשִׁבַּר֙ אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת וְכָרַ֖ת אֶת־הָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וְכִתַּת֩ נְחַ֨שׁ הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֗ה כִּ֣י עַד־הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵ֨מָּה֙ הָי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מְקַטְּרִ֣ים לֹ֔ו וַיִּקְרָא־לֹ֖ו נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן׃
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the ʾAsherah, and he crushed the bronze serpent that Moshe had made, for until those days the children of Yisraʾel were burning incense to it, and he called it Neḥushtan.
Morphology
- ה֣וּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “He”; Notes: Subject pronoun, used for emphasis.
- הֵסִ֣יר (hesir) – Root: סור (sur); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “removed”; Notes: Causing removal or elimination.
- אֶת־הַבָּמֹ֗ות (et-ha-bamot) – Root: במה (bamah); Form: Definite plural noun feminine preceded by accusative marker; Translation: “the high places”; Notes: Elevated places used for idolatrous worship.
- וְשִׁבַּר֙ (ve-shibbar) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he broke”; Notes: Piel intensifies the breaking of sacred objects.
- אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבֹ֔ת (et-ha-matzevot) – Root: מצבה (matzevah); Form: Definite plural noun feminine with accusative marker; Translation: “the pillars”; Notes: Stone pillars used in idol worship.
- וְכָרַ֖ת (ve-karat) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he cut down”; Notes: Refers to cutting or destroying sacred trees/poles.
- אֶת־הָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה (et-ha-ʾAsherah) – Root: אשרה (ʾAsherah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular with accusative marker; Translation: “the ʾAsherah”; Notes: Sacred wooden pole or tree used in Canaanite cults.
- וְכִתַּת֩ (ve-kittat) – Root: כתת (kittet); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he crushed”; Notes: Violent destruction of the object.
- נְחַ֨שׁ הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת (neḥash ha-neḥoshet) – Root: נחשׁ (naḥash), נחשׁת (neḥoshet); Form: Noun construct + definite noun; Translation: “the bronze serpent”; Notes: Refers to the one made in the wilderness (Numbers 21).
- אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה (ʾasher-ʿasah) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Relative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “that had made”; Notes: Refers back to the bronze serpent’s origin.
- מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Mosheh) – Root: משׁה (Mosheh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Moshe”; Notes: The prophet who originally made the bronze serpent.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives reason or explanation.
- עַד־הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵ֨מָּה֙ (ʿad-ha-yamim ha-hemmah) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition + definite plural noun + demonstrative adjective; Translation: “until those days”; Notes: Temporal reference up to the current reform.
- הָי֤וּ (hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were”; Notes: Describes continual past behavior.
- בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (bene-Yisraʾel) – Root: בן (ben), ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct plural noun + proper noun; Translation: “children of Yisraʾel”; Notes: The Israelite people.
- מְקַטְּרִ֣ים (meqatterim) – Root: קטר (qatar); Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “burning incense”; Notes: Continuous cultic practice.
- לֹ֔ו (lo) – Root: לו (lo); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to it”; Notes: Refers to the bronze serpent.
- וַיִּקְרָא־לֹ֖ו (va-yiqra-lo) – Root: קרא (qara); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix; Translation: “and he called it”; Notes: Naming or designation of the object.
- נְחֻשְׁתָּֽן (Neḥushtan) – Root: נחשׁ (naḥash) + diminutive ending; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Neḥushtan”; Notes: Possibly a pejorative term meaning “bronze thing.”