לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֧י מַאֲכִילָ֛ם אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה לַֽעֲנָ֑ה וְהִשְׁקִיתִ֖ים מֵי־רֹֽאשׁ׃
Therefore thus said YHWH of Hosts, the God of Yisraʾel: “Behold, I am feeding this people with wormwood and I will make them drink water of gall.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a consequence or divine judgment.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Demonstrative adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces a prophetic declaration.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the speaker.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsava); Form: Noun plural in construct; Translation: “of Hosts”; Notes: Military imagery of YHWH as commander of heavenly armies.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלוה (ʾeloah); Form: Construct plural masculine; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Introduces divine relationship with Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Masculine singular proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation receiving the judgment.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Particle + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Marks YHWH’s emphatic announcement.
- מַאֲכִילָם (maʾakhilam) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “feeding them”; Notes: Causative sense—forcing them to eat.
- אֶת־הָעָם (et-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular with direct object marker; Translation: “this people”; Notes: The direct object of divine punishment.
- הַזֶּה (hazzeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative adjective masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the targeted group.
- לַעֲנָה (laʿanah) – Root: לען (laʿan); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “wormwood”; Notes: Bitter herb symbolizing suffering and divine punishment.
- וְהִשְׁקִיתִים (ve-hishqitim) – Root: שקה (shaqah); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and I will make them drink”; Notes: Causative form emphasizing forced consumption of bitterness.
- מֵי־רֹאשׁ (mei-roʾsh) – Root: רֹאשׁ (roʾsh); Form: Construct noun plural masculine + noun masculine singular; Translation: “water of gall”; Notes: A poisonous or bitter substance, metaphor for divine wrath.