וַיָּ֕שֶׂם אֶת־פֶּ֥סֶל הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה בַּבַּ֗יִת אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־דָּוִד֙ וְאֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בְנֹ֔ו בַּבַּ֨יִת הַזֶּ֜ה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֨רְתִּי֙ מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אָשִׂ֥ים אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י לְעֹולָֽם׃
And he placed the image of the ʾAshera that he had made in the house of which YHWH had said to Dawid and to Shelomo his son, “In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Yisraʾel, I will put My name forever.
Morphology
- וַיָּ֕שֶׂם (va-yasem) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he placed”; Notes: Introduces the act of putting the idol into the Temple.
- אֶת־פֶּ֥סֶל (et-pesel) – Root: פסל (pesel); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the image”; Notes: Refers to a carved idol, a physical representation of a deity.
- הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה (ha-Asherah) – Root: אשרה (Asherah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “of the ʾAsherah”; Notes: Refers to a Canaanite goddess or her cultic object.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause about the idol.
- עָשָׂ֑ה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he had made”; Notes: Refers to the construction of the idol.
- בַּבַּ֗יִת (ba-bayit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the house”; Notes: Refers to the Temple of YHWH.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “of which”; Notes: Introduces clause identifying the sacred house.
- אָמַ֤ר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “had said”; Notes: Marks the divine declaration.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hvh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker of the promise about the Temple.
- אֶל־דָּוִד֙ (el-Dawid) – Root: אל (ʾel) + דוד (Dawid); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Dawid”; Notes: Recipient of the divine promise.
- וְאֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה (ve-el-Shelomoh) – Root: שלמה (Shelomoh); Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and to Shelomoh”; Notes: Dawid’s son and Temple builder.
- בְנֹ֔ו (bno) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his son”; Notes: Refers to Shelomoh’s relationship to Dawid.
- בַּבַּ֨יִת הַזֶּ֜ה (ba-bayit ha-zeh) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition + definite noun + demonstrative pronoun; Translation: “in this house”; Notes: Emphasizes the specific sanctity of the Temple.
- וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם (u-Virushalayim) – Root: ירושלם (Yerushalayim); Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and in Yerushalayim”; Notes: The city divinely chosen for YHWH’s name.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֨רְתִּי֙ (asher bacharti) – Root: בחר (bachar); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “which I have chosen”; Notes: YHWH’s sovereign election of the city.
- מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (mi-kol shivtei Yisraʾel) – Root: שבט (shevet); Form: Preposition + noun + construct plural noun + proper noun; Translation: “out of all the tribes of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Highlights YHWH’s exclusive choice.
- אָשִׂ֥ים (asim) – Root: שים (sim); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person masculine singular; Translation: “I will put”; Notes: YHWH’s intent to dwell symbolically via His Name.
- אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י (et-shemi) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Direct object marker + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My name”; Notes: Denotes divine presence or ownership.
- לְעֹולָֽם (le-ʿolam) – Root: עולם (ʿolam); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Emphasizes permanence of divine designation.