לָכֵן֩ אֶתֵּ֨ן אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶ֜ם לַאֲחֵרִ֗ים שְׂדֹֽותֵיהֶם֙ לְיֹ֣ורְשִׁ֔ים כִּ֤י מִקָּטֹן֙ וְעַד־גָּדֹ֔ול כֻּלֹּ֖ה בֹּצֵ֣עַ בָּ֑צַע מִנָּבִיא֙ וְעַד־כֹּהֵ֔ן כֻּלֹּ֖ה עֹ֥שֶׂה שָּֽׁקֶר׃
Therefore I will give their wives to others, their fields to inheritors. For from the least even to the greatest, all of them greedily gain; from prophet even to priest, all of them deal falsely.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Conjunction/adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces divine judgment based on prior behavior.
- אֶתֵּן (etten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Future action of YHWH in response to their corruption.
- אֶת־נְשֵׁיהֶם (et-nesheihem) – Root: אֵת (ʾet) + אשה (ishah); Form: Direct object marker + plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their wives”; Notes: Indicates what is being given away as part of judgment.
- לַאֲחֵרִים (laʾaḥerim) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥer); Form: Preposition לְ + plural adjective; Translation: “to others”; Notes: Indicates that foreign or rival men will take their wives.
- שְׂדֹותֵיהֶם (sedehoteihem) – Root: שדה (sadeh); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their fields”; Notes: Refers to property or inheritance being taken.
- לְיֹורְשִׁים (leyorshim) – Root: ירשׁ (yarash); Form: Preposition + Qal active participle masculine plural; Translation: “to inheritors”; Notes: Those who will dispossess the people unjustly.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason or cause for the judgment.
- מִקָּטֹן (mi-qaton) – Root: קטן (qatan); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the least”; Notes: Begins a merism indicating total corruption.
- וְעַד־גָּדֹול (veʿad-gadol) – Root: גדל (gadal); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “even to the great”; Notes: Completes the merism with full social range.
- כֻּלֹּה (kullo) – Root: כלל (kalal); Form: Noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Emphatic totality—no one is righteous.
- בֹּצֵעַ (botseʿa) – Root: בצע (batsaʿ); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “greedily gains”; Notes: Connotes unjust gain or plunder.
- בָּצַע (batzaʿ) – Root: בצע (batsaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “gain” or “profit”; Notes: Often associated with corruption or exploitation.
- מִנָּבִיא (min-navi) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from prophet”; Notes: Begins another merism showing religious leadership is corrupted.
- וְעַד־כֹּהֵן (veʿad-kohen) – Root: כהן (kohen); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “even to priest”; Notes: Completes the merism, condemning all spiritual leadership.
- כֻּלֹּה (kullo) – Root: כלל (kalal); Form: Noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis—universal guilt.
- עֹשֶׂה (ʿoseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “doing” or “practicing”; Notes: Continual action—falsehood is their practice.
- שָּׁקֶר (sheqer) – Root: שׁקר (shaqar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “falsehood”; Notes: Conveys deception, lies, or fraudulent conduct.