הַאֹתִ֛י הֵ֥ם מַכְעִסִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הֲלֹ֣וא אֹתָ֔ם לְמַ֖עַן בֹּ֥שֶׁת פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ ס
Is it Me they provoke?” declares YHWH. “Is it not themselves, for the shame of their faces?”
Morphology
- הַאֹתִ֛י (ha-ʾoti) – Root: אות; Form: Interrogative particle + definite article + 1cs accusative suffix pronoun; Translation: “Is it Me?”; Notes: Interrogative prefix ה־ with accusative suffix י־ referring to YHWH.
- הֵ֥ם (hem) – Root: הם; Form: Independent pronoun, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic subject.
- מַכְעִסִ֖ים (maḵʿisim) – Root: כעס; Form: Hiphil participle masculine plural; Translation: “provoking”; Notes: Causative action—“they provoke/make angry.”
- נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “utterance of YHWH”; Notes: Formulaic prophetic introduction.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (haloʾ) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative negative particle; Translation: “is it not?”; Notes: Used rhetorically to expect a positive answer.
- אֹתָ֔ם (ʾotam) – Root: אות; Form: Accusative pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Direct object of the rhetorical question.
- לְמַ֖עַן (lemaʿan) – Root: מען; Form: Preposition; Translation: “for the sake of”; Notes: Introduces purpose or result.
- בֹּ֥שֶׁת (boshet) – Root: בוש; Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “shame”; Notes: Refers to disgrace or humiliation.
- פְּנֵיהֶֽם (penehem) – Root: פנה; Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their faces”; Notes: Indicates personal humiliation.