לָמָּה־לִּ֤י רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם֙ יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי עֹלֹ֥ות אֵילִ֖ים וְחֵ֣לֶב מְרִיאִ֑ים וְדַ֨ם פָּרִ֧ים וּכְבָשִׂ֛ים וְעַתּוּדִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָפָֽצְתִּי׃
“Why to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices?” says YHWH. “I am full of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened beasts; and the blood of bulls and lambs and goats I do not desire.
Morphology
- לָמָּה־לִּי (lammah-li) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative particle + preposition + pronoun; Translation: “Why to Me?”; Notes: Expresses divine protest against meaningless ritual.
- רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם (rov-zivḥeikhem) – Root: רבב / זבח; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “the multitude of your sacrifices”; Notes: Emphasizes the excessive quantity of offerings.
- יֹאמַר (yoʾmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Introduces divine speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The speaker, rejecting empty ritualism.
- שָׂבַעְתִּי (savaʿti) – Root: שׂבע; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I am full”; Notes: Indicates being sated, even to rejection.
- עֹלֹות (ʿolot) – Root: עלה; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “burnt offerings”; Notes: Whole-burnt sacrifices entirely consumed on the altar.
- אֵילִים (elim) – Root: איל; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “rams”; Notes: Common sacrificial animal.
- וְחֵלֶב (ve-ḥelev) – Root: חלב; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and fat”; Notes: The choicest part of the animal reserved for sacrifice.
- מְרִיאִים (meriʾim) – Root: מריא; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “fattened beasts”; Notes: Animals specially prepared for offerings.
- וְדַם (ve-dam) – Root: דם; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and blood”; Notes: Central element in sacrificial rituals.
- פָּרִים (parim) – Root: פר; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “bulls”; Notes: Larger and more costly sacrificial animals.
- וּכְבָשִׂים (u-kevasim) – Root: כבשׂ; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and lambs”; Notes: Standard sacrificial offering.
- וְעַתּוּדִים (ve-ʿattudim) – Root: עתד; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and goats”; Notes: Another permissible offering animal.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces negation of divine desire.
- חָפָצְתִּי (ḥafatzti) – Root: חפץ; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have desired”; Notes: Indicates disinterest or rejection of external ritual without true devotion.