Jeremiah 3:22

שׁ֚וּבוּ בָּנִ֣ים שֹׁובָבִ֔ים אֶרְפָּ֖ה מְשׁוּבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם הִנְנוּ֙ אָתָ֣נוּ לָ֔ךְ כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

“Return, O backsliding sons, I will heal your backslidings.” “Behold, we have come to You, for You are YHWH our God.

Morphology

1. שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Return”; Notes: A direct call to repentance.
2. בָּנִים (banim) – Root: בן; Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to Yisraʾel as God’s children.
3. שֹׁובָבִים (shovavim) – Root: שׁובב; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “backsliding”; Notes: Describes their rebellious condition.
4. אֶרְפָּה (ʾerpa) – Root: רפא; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will heal”; Notes: Divine promise of restoration.
5. מְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם (meshuvoteikhem) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Noun feminine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your backslidings”; Notes: The plural noun denotes repeated or habitual turning away.
6. הִנְנוּ (hinenu) – Root: הן; Form: Interjection + 1st person common plural suffix; Translation: “Behold, we”; Notes: Expression of readiness and acknowledgment.
7. אָתָנוּ (ʾatanu) – Root: אתה; Form: Verb Qal perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we have come”; Notes: Marks their response to YHWH’s call.
8. לָךְ (lakh) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to You”; Notes: Indicates direction of return.
9. כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides the reason or basis for the preceding action.
10. אַתָּה (attah) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “You”; Notes: Emphatic subject pronoun.
11. יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Divine name signifying covenant relationship.
12. אֱלֹהֵינוּ (ʾeloheinu) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 1st person common plural suffix; Translation: “our God”; Notes: Expresses personal relationship with the deity.