לְמַ֛עַן נַסֹּ֥ות בָּ֖ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֲשֹׁמְרִ֣ים הֵם֩ אֶת־דֶּ֨רֶךְ יְהוָ֜ה לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר שָׁמְר֥וּ אֲבֹותָ֖ם אִם־לֹֽא׃
In order to test Yisraʾel, whether they will keep the way of YHWH, to walk in it as their fathers kept it, or not.”
Morphology
- לְמַ֛עַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “In order to”; Notes: Expresses purpose.
- נַסֹּ֥ות (nassot) – Root: נסה (nasah); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to test”; Notes: Indicates divine testing.
- בָּ֖ם (bam) – Root: בם (bam); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “in them”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (et-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun with direct object marker; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The subject of the test.
- הֲשֹׁמְרִ֣ים (ha-shomrim) – Root: שמר (shamar); Form: Participle, masculine plural absolute with interrogative prefix; Translation: “whether they will keep”; Notes: Expresses conditional obedience.
- הֵם֩ (hem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Pronoun, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- אֶת־דֶּ֨רֶךְ (et-derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with direct object marker; Translation: “the way”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s commandments.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The subject of the way to be followed.
- לָלֶ֣כֶת (la-lekhet) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to walk”; Notes: Refers to following YHWH’s path.
- בָּ֗ם (bam) – Root: בם (bam); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s way.
- כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר (ka-asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison.
- שָׁמְר֥וּ (shameru) – Root: שמר (shamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they kept”; Notes: Refers to past obedience.
- אֲבֹותָ֖ם (avotam) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their fathers”; Notes: Refers to the forefathers of Yisraʾel.
- אִם־לֹֽא׃ (im-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conditional phrase; Translation: “or not”; Notes: Indicates uncertainty of obedience.