לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות הִנְנִ֥י צֹורְפָ֖ם וּבְחַנְתִּ֑ים כִּֽי־אֵ֣יךְ אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃
Therefore thus said YHWH of armies: “Behold, I am refining them and testing them, for how shall I do concerning the daughter of My people?
Morphology
- לָכֵ֗ן (lakhen) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a result or consequence based on prior judgment or statement.
- כֹּ֤ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Typical in prophetic declarations introducing divine speech.
- אָמַר֙ (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks the beginning of a direct quotation from YHWH.
- יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of Israel’s God.
- צְבָאֹ֔ות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “of armies”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s sovereignty over heavenly and earthly hosts.
- הִנְנִ֥י (hineni) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Expresses divine imminence or action.
- צֹורְפָ֖ם (tsorefam) – Root: צרף; Form: Qal participle masculine singular + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “refining them”; Notes: Metallurgical metaphor for purification.
- וּבְחַנְתִּ֑ים (u-veḥantim) – Root: בחן; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and I tested them”; Notes: Parallel to refining, emphasizing divine evaluation.
- כִּֽי־אֵ֣יךְ (ki-ʾeikh) – Root: כי + איך; Form: Conjunction + interrogative adverb; Translation: “for how”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה (eʿeseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “shall I do”; Notes: Volitional or deliberative future.
- מִפְּנֵ֖י (mi-penei) – Root: פנה; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “concerning” or “on account of”; Notes: Prepositional phrase indicating cause or relation.
- בַּת־עַמִּֽי (bat-ʿammi) – Root: בת + עם; Form: Construct chain: noun feminine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “daughter of My people”; Notes: Personification of the nation as YHWH’s daughter.