וַיִּוָּעַ֣ץ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּ֕עַשׂ שְׁנֵ֖י עֶגְלֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם רַב־לָכֶם֙ מֵעֲלֹ֣ות יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם הִנֵּ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And the king took counsel and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Yerushalayim. Behold your gods, O Yisraʾel, who brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim.”
Morphology
- וַיִּוָּעַ֣ץ (va-yyuvaʿats) – Root: יעץ (ʿ.y.tz); Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he took counsel”; Notes: Reflects deliberation by Yarovʿam.
- הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (ha-melekh) – Root: מלך (m.l.k); Form: Definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the king”; Notes: Refers to Yarovʿam.
- וַיַּ֕עַשׂ (va-yaʿas) – Root: עשה (ʿ.s.h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he made”; Notes: Action resulting from the counsel.
- שְׁנֵ֖י עֶגְלֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב (shenei ʿeglei zahav) – Root: עגל (ʿ.g.l) / זהב (z.h.v); Form: Dual construct noun + noun; Translation: “two calves of gold”; Notes: Refers to idolatrous objects.
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ.m.r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Speech introducing justification for the act.
- אֲלֵהֶ֗ם (alehem) – Root: אל (ʾ.l); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel.
- רַב־לָכֶם (rav-lakhem) – Root: רבב (r.b.b); Form: Adjective + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “It is too much for you”; Notes: Suggests weariness with pilgrimage.
- מֵעֲלֹות יְרוּשָׁלִַם (meʿalot Yerushalayim) – Root: עלה (ʿ.l.h); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct + proper noun; Translation: “to go up to Yerushalayim”; Notes: Refers to pilgrimage to the Temple.
- הִנֵּ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ (hinneh elohekha) – Root: אלוה (ʾ.l.h); Form: Interjection + noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Behold your gods”; Notes: Echoes the sin of the golden calf in Exodus.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Vocative direct address to the northern kingdom.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ (ʾasher heʿelu-kha) – Root: עלה (ʿ.l.h); Form: Relative pronoun + Hifil perfect 3rd person plural + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “who brought you up”; Notes: Misattribution of divine action to idols.
- מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם (me-ʾerets Mitsrayim) – Form: Preposition + noun + proper noun; Translation: “from the land of Mitsrayim”; Notes: Reminds the audience of the exodus narrative.