כֹּ֣ה תֹאמְר֗וּן אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֤הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַל־יַשִּׁאֲךָ֣ אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה בֹּוטֵ֥חַ בֹּ֖ו לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א תִנָּתֵן֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּיַ֖ד מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃
“Thus you shall say to Ḥizqiyahu king of Yehuda, saying: “Let not your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, ‘Yerushalayim shall not be given into the hand of the king of Ashshur.’”
Morphology
- כֹּ֣ה (koh) – Root: demonstrative particle; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard formula for introducing quoted speech, especially prophetic or official.
- תֹאמְר֗וּן (toʾmerun) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall say”; Notes: Command addressed to messengers or spokesmen.
- אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֤הוּ (el-Ḥizqiyahu) – Root: חזק (ḥazaq) + divine element יהו; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “to Ḥizqiyahu”; Notes: Refers to the king of Yehudah, recipient of the threatening message.
- מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֙ (melekh-Yehudah) – Root: מלך (melekh), יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yehudah”; Notes: Title affirming Ḥizqiyahu’s position.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the direct speech content.
- אַל־יַשִּׁאֲךָ֣ (ʾal-yashiʾakha) – Root: נשא (nashaʾ); Form: Negative particle + Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Let him not deceive you”; Notes: Refers to a warning not to trust divine reassurance.
- אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ (Elohekha) – Root: אלוה (Eloah); Form: Masculine plural noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Intended sarcastically by the Assyrian speaker.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Indeclinable; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause clarifying who is being trusted.
- אַתָּ֛ה (attah) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Independent personal pronoun, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the clause “you trust in Him.”
- בֹּוטֵ֥חַ (boteaḥ) – Root: בטח (bataḥ); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “trusting”; Notes: Indicates ongoing or characteristic trust.
- בֹּ֖ו (bo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in Him”; Notes: Refers to Elohekha, i.e., YHWH.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces quotation of divine reassurance.
- לֹ֤א תִנָּתֵן֙ (lo tinaten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Negative particle + Nifal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it shall not be given”; Notes: Passive construction referring to Yerushalayim.
- יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם (Yerushalayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine singular; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: The capital of Yehudah, central to the conflict.
- בְּיַ֖ד (be-yad) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “into the hand of”; Notes: Idiomatic phrase meaning under control or power of someone.
- מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר (melekh Ashshur) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Ashshur”; Notes: Refers to the Assyrian king threatening Yerushalayim.