וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֮ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֗ר יָשְׁב֤וּ אֲבֹֽותֵיכֶם֙ מֵֽעֹולָ֔ם תֶּ֛רַח אֲבִ֥י אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַאֲבִ֣י נָחֹ֑ור וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
And Yehoshua said to all the people, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel: ‘Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the river from ancient times—Terach, the father of Avraham and the father of Naḥor—and they served other gods.
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect consecutive 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces Yehoshua’s speech.
- יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ (Yehoshua) – Root: יהושע (Yehoshua); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehoshua”; Notes: Refers to the leader of Yisra’el.
- אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֗ם (el-kol-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “to all the people”; Notes: Refers to the assembled Israelites.
- כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Formula introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָה֮ (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the God of Yisra’el.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (ʾElohei) – Root: אלהים (ʾElohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the God of”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s divine authority.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ (Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (Yisra’el); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Yisra’el.
- בְּעֵ֣בֶר (be-ʿever) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “on the other side of”; Notes: Indicates location.
- הַנָּהָ֗ר (ha-nahar) – Root: נהר (nahar); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “the river”; Notes: Refers to the Euphrates.
- יָשְׁב֤וּ (yashvu) – Root: ישב (yashav); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “dwelt”; Notes: Describes the past action of the ancestors.
- אֲבֹֽותֵיכֶם֙ (avotekhem) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors of Yisra’el.
- מֵֽעֹולָ֔ם (meʿolam) – Root: עולם (ʿolam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “from ancient times”; Notes: Indicates a long-standing historical context.
- תֶּ֛רַח (Terach) – Root: תֶּ֛רַח (Terach); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Terach”; Notes: The father of Avraham.
- אֲבִ֥י (avi) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “the father of”; Notes: Defines lineage.
- אַבְרָהָ֖ם (Avraham) – Root: אברהם (Avraham); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avraham”; Notes: The patriarch.
- וַאֲבִ֣י (va-avi) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and the father of”; Notes: Connects familial relations.
- נָחֹ֑ור (Naḥor) – Root: נחור (Naḥor); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Naḥor”; Notes: Avraham’s brother.
- וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ (va-yaʿavdu) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal imperfect consecutive 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they served”; Notes: Refers to their religious practices.
- אֱלֹהִ֥ים (Elohim) – Root: אלהים (Elohim); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute; Translation: “gods”; Notes: Refers to foreign deities.
- אֲחֵרִֽים (ʾaḥerim) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥer); Form: Adjective, masculine plural absolute; Translation: “other”; Notes: Qualifies the noun “gods.”