וְהָֽלְכ֞וּ עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה וְיֹשְׁבֵי֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם מְקַטְּרִ֖ים לָהֶ֑ם וְהֹושֵׁ֛עַ לֹֽא־יֹושִׁ֥יעוּ לָהֶ֖ם בְּעֵ֥ת רָעָתָֽם׃
And the cities of Yehuda and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at the time of their trouble.
Morphology
- וְהָלְכוּ (ve-halkhu) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they will go”; Notes: Refers to a future or impending action, possibly habitual.
- עָרֵי (ʿarei) – Root: עיר; Form: Construct plural feminine; Translation: “cities of”; Notes: In construct with “Yehudah.”
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom or tribal territory.
- וְיֹשְׁבֵי (ve-yoshvei) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Conjunction + participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “and the inhabitants of”; Notes: Participial form describing continuous dwelling.
- יְרוּשָׁלִַם (Yerushalayim) – Root: ירושלם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: Capital city of Yehudah.
- וְזָעֲקוּ (ve-zaʿaqu) – Root: זעק; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and they will cry out”; Notes: Desperate plea for help or deliverance.
- אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים (el-ha-elohim) – Root: אלה; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “to the gods”; Notes: Refers to false deities or idols.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause explaining the gods.
- הֵם (hem) – Root: –; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
- מְקַטְּרִים (meqatterim) – Root: קטר; Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “are offering incense”; Notes: Cultic worship practice often condemned in prophetic texts.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: –; Form: Preposition לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the false gods.
- וְהֹושֵׁעַ (ve-hosheaʿ) – Root: ישע; Form: Hifil infinitive absolute used as a finite verb; Translation: “but to save”; Notes: Emphasizes expected action that will not occur.
- לֹא־יֹושִׁיעוּ (lo-yoshiʿu) – Root: ישע; Form: Hifil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they will not save”; Notes: Indicates the impotence of the false gods in times of crisis.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: –; Form: Preposition לְ + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for them”; Notes: Repeats object to emphasize futility of the cry for help.
- בְּעֵת (be-ʿet) – Root: עת; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “at the time of”; Notes: Marks the time of distress or judgment.
- רָעָתָם (raʿatam) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their trouble” or “their evil”; Notes: Refers to the calamity brought upon them for idolatry.