וְלָכֵ֥ן נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְבֵ֣ית עֵלִ֑י אִֽם־יִתְכַּפֵּ֞ר עֲוֹ֧ן בֵּית־עֵלִ֛י בְּזֶ֥בַח וּבְמִנְחָ֖ה עַד־עֹולָֽם׃
Therefore, I have sworn to the house of ʿEli: ‘The iniquity of the house of ʿEli shall never be atoned for with sacrifice or offering forever.’”
Morphology
- וְלָכֵ֥ן (ve-lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a logical consequence.
- נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי (nishbaʿti) – Root: שבע (shavaʿ); Form: Nifal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have sworn”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s binding oath.
- לְבֵ֣ית (le-veit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with preposition; Translation: “to the house of”; Notes: Refers to the household.
- עֵלִ֑י (ʿEli) – Root: עלי (ʿEli); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular; Translation: “ʿEli”; Notes: Refers to the priest ʿEli.
- אִֽם־יִתְכַּפֵּ֞ר (im-yitkapper) – Root: כפר (kapar); Form: Hitpael imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be atoned for”; Notes: Expresses atonement, negated in this context.
- עֲוֹ֧ן (ʿavon) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “iniquity”; Notes: Refers to the guilt of ʿEli’s house.
- בֵּית־עֵלִ֛י (beit-ʿEli) – Root: בית (bayit) + עלי (ʿEli); Form: Construct noun with proper noun; Translation: “the house of ʿEli”; Notes: Specifies the guilty party.
- בְּזֶ֥בַח (be-zevaḥ) – Root: זבח (zevaḥ); Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition; Translation: “with sacrifice”; Notes: Refers to sacrificial atonement.
- וּבְמִנְחָ֖ה (u-ve-minḥah) – Root: מנחה (minḥah); Form: Noun, feminine singular with preposition; Translation: “or with offering”; Notes: Refers to grain or gift offerings.
- עַד־עֹולָֽם (ʿad-ʿolam) – Root: עולם (ʿolam); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Emphasizes the permanence of the judgment.