וַיָּבֵ֤א אֶת־כָּל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ מֵעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיְטַמֵּ֣א אֶת־הַבָּמֹ֗ות אֲשֶׁ֤ר קִטְּרוּ־שָׁ֨מָּה֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מִגֶּ֖בַע עַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וְנָתַ֞ץ אֶת־בָּמֹ֣ות הַשְּׁעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר יְהֹושֻׁ֨עַ֙ שַׂר־הָעִ֔יר אֲשֶֽׁר־עַל־שְׂמֹ֥אול אִ֖ישׁ בְּשַׁ֥עַר הָעִֽיר׃
And he brought all the priests from the cities of Yehuda, and he defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Gevaʿ to Beʾer Shevaʿ, and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Yehoshuaʿ, the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left at the gate of the city.
Morphology
- וַיָּבֵ֤א (va-yave) – Root: בוא; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he brought”; Notes: Refers to King Yoshiyahu gathering the priests.
- אֶת־כָּל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים (et-kol-ha-kohanim) – Root: כהן; Form: Direct object + noun construct phrase; Translation: “all the priests”; Notes: Priests who served in illegitimate cultic sites.
- מֵעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה (me-arei Yehudah) – Root: עיר; Form: Preposition + construct plural noun + proper noun; Translation: “from the cities of Yehudah”; Notes: Dispersed throughout the kingdom.
- וַיְטַמֵּ֣א (va-yetamme) – Root: טמא; Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he defiled”; Notes: Ritual desecration to render the places unusable.
- אֶת־הַבָּמֹ֗ות (et-ha-bamot) – Root: במה; Form: Direct object + definite plural noun; Translation: “the high places”; Notes: Illicit sites of worship.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר קִטְּרוּ־שָׁ֨מָּה֙ (asher qitteru-shammah) – Root: קטר; Form: Relative pronoun + Piel perfect 3mp + adverb; Translation: “where they had burned incense”; Notes: Refers to pagan rites conducted by the priests.
- הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים (ha-kohanim) – Root: כהן; Form: Definite masculine plural noun; Translation: “the priests”; Notes: Subject of the incense burning.
- מִגֶּ֖בַע עַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע (mi-Gevaʿ ʿad-Beʾer-Shevaʿ) – Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “from Gevaʿ to Beʾer-Shevaʿ”; Notes: Denotes the full territorial range of the reform.
- וְנָתַ֞ץ (ve-natats) – Root: נתץ; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he broke down”; Notes: Demolition of cultic structures.
- אֶת־בָּמֹ֣ות הַשְּׁעָרִ֗ים (et-bamot ha-sheʿarim) – Root: במה, שער; Form: Direct object + construct plural noun + definite plural noun; Translation: “the high places of the gates”; Notes: Built into or near city entrances.
- אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר יְהֹושֻׁ֨עַ֙ (asher-petaḥ shaʿar Yehoshuaʿ) – Root: פתח, שער; Form: Relative clause; Translation: “that were at the entrance of the gate of Yehoshuaʿ”; Notes: Yehoshuaʿ was a high-ranking official.
- שַׂר־הָעִ֔יר (sar ha-ʿir) – Root: שר, עיר; Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “the governor of the city”; Notes: Administrative leader of Yerushalayim.
- אֲשֶֽׁר־עַל־שְׂמֹ֥אול אִ֖ישׁ (asher ʿal-smoʾl ish) – Form: Relative clause + prepositional phrase; Translation: “which was on a man’s left”; Notes: Describing physical orientation at the gate.
- בְּשַׁ֥עַר הָעִֽיר (be-shaʿar ha-ʿir) – Root: שער; Form: Preposition + definite noun; Translation: “at the gate of the city”; Notes: Refers to a well-known entrance where such altars were present.