הַעִידֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיֹּום֮ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֨וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you and your offspring may live.
Morphology
- הַעִידֹתִי (haʿīdōtī) – Root: עיד; Form: Hifil perfect, 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have called as witness”; Notes: The Hifil form denotes causation, indicating that the speaker is making heaven and earth witnesses.
- בָכֶם (bākhem) – Root: ב; Form: preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “against you”.
- הַיּוֹם (hayyōm) – Root: יום; Form: definite article + noun masculine singular; Translation: “today”.
- אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם (ʾet-hashshāmayim) – Root: שׁמים; Form: direct object marker + noun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “the heavens”.
- וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ (vəʾet-hāʾāreṣ) – Root: ארץ; Form: conjunction + direct object marker + noun feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “and the earth”.
- הַחַיִּים (hachayyīm) – Root: חיה; Form: definite article + noun masculine plural; Translation: “life”.
- וְהַמָּוֶת (vəhamāvet) – Root: מות; Form: conjunction + definite article + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and death”.
- נָתַתִּי (nātattī) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect, 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have set”.
- לְפָנֶיךָ (ləfāneḵā) – Root: פנה; Form: preposition + noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before you”.
- הַבְּרָכָה (habberāḵāh) – Root: ברך; Form: definite article + noun feminine singular; Translation: “the blessing”.
- וְהַקְּלָלָה (vəhaqqəlālāh) – Root: קלל; Form: conjunction + definite article + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the curse”.
- וּבָחַרְתָּ (uvāḥartā) – Root: בחר; Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall choose”.
- בַּחַיִּים (bachayyīm) – Root: חיה; Form: preposition + definite article + noun masculine plural; Translation: “life”.
- לְמַעַן (ləmaʿan) – Form: preposition; Translation: “so that”.
- תִּחְיֶה (tiḥyeh) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you may live”.
- אַתָּה (ʾattāh) – Form: personal pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”.
- וְזַרְעֶךָ (vəzarʿeḵā) – Root: זרע; Form: conjunction + noun masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and your offspring”.