שָׁ֩בוּ֩ עַל־עֲוֹנֹ֨ת אֲבֹותָ֜ם הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר מֵֽאֲנוּ֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣ועַ אֶת־דְּבָרַ֔י וְהֵ֣מָּה הָלְכ֗וּ אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים לְעָבְדָ֑ם הֵפֵ֤רוּ בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וּבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֕י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אֶת־אֲבֹותָֽם׃ ס
They have returned to the iniquities of their first fathers, who refused to hear My words, and they went after other gods to serve them. The house of Yisraʾel and the house of Yehuda have broken My covenant which I cut with their fathers.”
Morphology
- שָׁבוּ (shavu) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “They returned”; Notes: Indicates repetition or reversion to prior sinful behavior.
- עַל־עֲוֹנֹות (ʿal-ʿavonot) – Root: עון; Form: Preposition + plural noun masculine; Translation: “to the iniquities of”; Notes: Points to moral guilt or rebellion.
- אֲבֹותָם (avotam) – Root: אב; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their fathers”; Notes: Refers to ancestral generations.
- הָרִאשֹׁנִים (ha-rishonim) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Definite adjective masculine plural; Translation: “the first”; Notes: Describes earlier generations, especially at the time of the Exodus.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a defining clause about the fathers.
- מֵאֲנוּ (meʾanu) – Root: מאן; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they refused”; Notes: Emphatic form of rejection.
- לִשְׁמֹעַ (lishmoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Infinitive construct with לְ prefix; Translation: “to hear”; Notes: Often implies obedience to YHWH’s words.
- אֶת־דְּבָרַי (et-devarai) – Root: דבר; Form: Direct object marker + plural noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My words”; Notes: Refers to divine revelation or commandments.
- וְהֵמָּה (ve-hemmah) – Root: –; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “and they”; Notes: Subject of the following verb, emphatic contrast.
- הָלְכוּ (halekhu) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they went”; Notes: Often used metaphorically for lifestyle or allegiance.
- אַחֲרֵי (ʾaḥarei) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates pursuit or devotion to another object.
- אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים (ʾelohim aḥerim) – Root: אלה, אחר; Form: Noun plural + adjective plural masculine; Translation: “other gods”; Notes: Condemned objects of idolatry.
- לְעָבְדָם (leʿovdam) – Root: עבד; Form: Infinitive construct with לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to serve them”; Notes: Refers to worship and religious service.
- הֵפֵרוּ (heferu) – Root: פרר; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they broke”; Notes: Denotes violation of covenant terms.
- בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל (beit-Yisraʾel) – Root: בית, ישראל; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “the house of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the northern kingdom or collective nation.
- וּבֵית יְהוּדָה (u-beit Yehudah) – Root: בית, יהודה; Form: Conjunction + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “and the house of Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom.
- אֶת־בְּרִיתִי (et-beriti) – Root: ברית; Form: Direct object marker + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My covenant”; Notes: Refers to the covenant YHWH made with their ancestors.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause defining the covenant.
- כָּרַתִּי (karatti) – Root: כרה; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I cut”; Notes: Idiomatic for “making a covenant.”
- אֶת־אֲבֹותָם (et-avotam) – Root: אב; Form: Direct object marker + plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “with their fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors of the current generation.