וַיֹּצֵ֣א אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה֩ מִבֵּ֨ית יְהוָ֜ה מִח֤וּץ לִירוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל קִדְרֹ֔ון וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛הּ בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֹ֖ון וַיָּ֣דֶק לְעָפָ֑ר וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶת־עֲפָרָ֔הּ עַל־קֶ֖בֶר בְּנֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃
And he brought out the Ashera from the house of YHWH outside Yerushalayim to the brook Qidron, and he burned it in the brook Qidron and ground it to dust, and threw its dust upon the grave of the sons of the people.
Morphology
- וַיֹּצֵ֣א (va-yotsei) – Root: יצא; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he brought out”; Notes: Indicates deliberate removal.
- אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה֩ (et-ha-Asherah) – Root: אשרה; Form: Direct object + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the Asherah”; Notes: Refers to a cult object or idol representing the goddess Asherah.
- מִבֵּ֨ית יְהוָ֜ה (mi-beit YHWH) – Root: בית; Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “from the house of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the Temple, indicating defilement had reached the sanctuary.
- מִח֤וּץ לִירוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ (mi-ḥuts li-Yerushalayim) – Root: חוץ; Form: Preposition + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “outside Yerushalayim”; Notes: Removed beyond the sacred boundary.
- אֶל־נַ֣חַל קִדְרֹ֔ון (el-naḥal Qidron) – Root: נחל; Form: Preposition + noun construct phrase; Translation: “to the wadi Qidron”; Notes: Valley east of the Temple used for disposing defiled items.
- וַיִּשְׂרֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛הּ (va-yisrof otah) – Root: שׂרף; Form: Qal wayyiqtol + 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and he burned it”; Notes: Ritual destruction of an idol.
- בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֹ֖ון (be-naḥal Qidron) – Root: נחל; Form: Preposition + noun phrase; Translation: “in the wadi Qidron”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- וַיָּ֣דֶק (va-yadeq) – Root: דקק; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he ground [it]”; Notes: Pulverizing to irreversible state.
- לְעָפָ֑ר (le-ʿafar) – Root: עפר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to dust”; Notes: Finality and humiliation of the idol.
- וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ (va-yashlekh) – Root: שלך; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he threw”; Notes: Public desecration.
- אֶת־עֲפָרָ֔הּ (et-ʿafarah) – Root: עפר; Form: Direct object + noun with 3rd feminine singular suffix; Translation: “its dust”; Notes: Refers back to the Asherah.
- עַל־קֶ֖בֶר (ʿal-qever) – Root: קבר; Form: Preposition + masculine singular noun; Translation: “upon the grave”; Notes: Location of symbolic rejection.
- בְּנֵ֥י הָעָֽם (bene ha-ʿam) – Root: בן, עם; Form: Construct plural + definite noun; Translation: “of the sons of the people”; Notes: Possibly commoners or condemned idolaters.