וְלֹ֤וא שָׁמְעוּ֙ אֵלַ֔י וְלֹ֥א הִטּ֖וּ אֶת־אָזְנָ֑ם וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עָרְפָּ֔ם הֵרֵ֖עוּ מֵאֲבֹותָֽם׃
But they did not listen to Me, and they did not incline their ear, and they stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers.
Morphology
- וְלֹ֤וא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “But not”; Notes: Introduces a contrasting negative statement.
- שָׁמְעוּ (shamʿu) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they listened”; Notes: Indicates refusal to heed divine instruction.
- אֵלַ֔י (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as speaker.
- וְלֹ֥א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues the series of negated responses.
- הִטּוּ (hittu) – Root: נטה; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they inclined”; Notes: A causative verb, indicating their unwillingness to give attention.
- אֶת־אָזְנָם (et-oznam) – Root: אֹזֶן; Form: Direct object marker + feminine singular noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their ear”; Notes: Represents willingness to listen or obey.
- וַיַּקְשׁוּ (va-yaqshu) – Root: קשה; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they stiffened”; Notes: Often used metaphorically for obstinacy or rebellion.
- אֶת־עָרְפָּם (et-ʿorpam) – Root: ערף; Form: Direct object marker + masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their neck”; Notes: Refers to stiff-necked behavior, a metaphor for stubbornness.
- הֵרֵעוּ (hereʿu) – Root: רעע; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they did evil”; Notes: Causative nuance emphasizes deliberate wrongdoing.
- מֵאֲבֹותָֽם (me-avotam) – Root: אב; Form: Preposition + plural construct noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “than their fathers”; Notes: Comparative phrase indicating greater corruption.