וַיִּמְאֲס֣וּ אֶת־חֻקָּ֗יו וְאֶת־בְּרִיתֹו֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּרַ֣ת אֶת־אֲבֹותָ֔ם וְאֵת֙ עֵֽדְוֹתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵעִ֖יד בָּ֑ם וַיֵּ֨לְכוּ֜ אַחֲרֵ֤י הַהֶ֨בֶל֙ וַיֶּהְבָּ֔לוּ וְאַחֲרֵ֤י הַגֹּויִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִֽיבֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשֹׂ֥ות כָּהֶֽם׃
And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers and His testimonies which He testified against them, and they walked after the vanity and became vain, and after the nations that were around them, those whom YHWH had commanded them not to do like them.
Morphology
- וַיִּמְאֲסוּ (va-yim’asu) – Root: מאס (ma’as); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they rejected”; Notes: Indicates strong disdain or refusal.
- אֶת־חֻקָּיו (et-ḥuqqav) – Root: חקק (ḥaqaq); Form: Direct object marker + plural noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “His statutes”; Notes: Divine laws decreed by YHWH.
- וְאֶת־בְּרִיתֹו (ve-et-berito) – Root: ברית (berit); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and His covenant”; Notes: Refers to the covenant made at Sinai and with the patriarchs.
- אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת (ʾasher karat) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “which He made”; Notes: Standard phrase for covenant-making.
- אֶת־אֲבֹותָם (et-avotam) – Root: אב (av); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “with their fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestral forefathers of Yisraʾel.
- וְאֵת עֵדוֹתָיו (ve-et ʿedotav) – Root: עדה (ʿedah); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + plural noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and His testimonies”; Notes: Legal or prophetic witness statements from YHWH.
- אֲשֶׁר הֵעִיד (ʾasher heʿid) – Root: עוד (ʿud); Form: Relative pronoun + Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “which He testified”; Notes: Refers to God’s warning declarations.
- בָּם (bam) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “against them”; Notes: The recipients of the testimonies.
- וַיֵּלְכוּ (va-yeleḵu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they walked”; Notes: Figurative for adopting a lifestyle.
- אַחֲרֵי הַהֶבֶל (aḥarei ha-hevel) – Root: הבל (hevel); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “after the vanity”; Notes: Refers to idols—worthless, empty.
- וַיֶּהְבָּלוּ (va-yehevbalu) – Root: הבל (haval); Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they became vain”; Notes: Wordplay showing that following vanity makes them vain.
- וְאַחֲרֵי הַגֹּויִם (ve-aḥarei ha-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite plural noun; Translation: “and after the nations”; Notes: Imitation of pagan practices.
- אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָם (ʾasher sevivotam) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Relative pronoun + noun plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “that were around them”; Notes: Describes proximity and cultural influence.
- אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה (ʾasher tsivvah) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Relative pronoun + Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “whom He commanded”; Notes: Refers to a divine prohibition.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The one giving the command.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Object of YHWH’s command.
- לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת (levilti ʿasot) – Root: בל (bal) + עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Infinitive construct with negative particle; Translation: “not to do”; Notes: Common biblical Hebrew construction for strong prohibition.
- כָּהֶם (kahem) – Root: כ (ke); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “like them”; Notes: Refers to the surrounding nations and their practices.