וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ וַיַּתְעֵ֤ם מְנַשֶּׁה֙ לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות אֶת־הָרָ֔ע מִן־הַ֨גֹּויִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הִשְׁמִ֣יד יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
But they did not listen, and Menashshe led them astray to do more evil than the nations whom YHWH had destroyed from before the children of Yisraʾel.
Morphology
- וְלֹ֖א (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “But not”; Notes: Introduces a contrast and negation of obedience.
- שָׁמֵ֑עוּ (shameʿu) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they listened”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yehudah.
- וַיַּתְעֵ֤ם (va-yatʿem) – Root: תעה (taʿah); Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and he led them astray”; Notes: Menashsheh as the cause of national apostasy.
- מְנַשֶּׁה֙ (Menashsheh) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Menashsheh”; Notes: King of Yehudah who promoted idolatry.
- לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות (laʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Purpose clause showing the result of their deception.
- אֶת־הָרָ֔ע (et-ha-raʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Refers to moral corruption and idolatry.
- מִן־הַ֨גֹּויִ֔ם (min-ha-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “than the nations”; Notes: Comparison showing Yehudah’s sin exceeded that of pagan nations.
- אֲשֶׁר֙ (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers back to “the nations.”
- הִשְׁמִ֣יד (hishmid) – Root: שמד (shamad); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He destroyed”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s judgment against the Canaanite nations.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hvh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Subject of the verb “destroyed.”
- מִפְּנֵ֖י (mi-penei) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “from before”; Notes: Describes expulsion in relation to a people.
- בְּנֵ֥י (benei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “children of”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites who entered the land.
- יִשְׂרָאֵֽל (Yisraʾel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people given the land in place of the nations.