וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י שֶׁ֚קֶר הַנְּבִאִים֙ נִבְּאִ֣ים בִּשְׁמִ֔י לֹ֤א שְׁלַחְתִּים֙ וְלֹ֣א צִוִּיתִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א דִבַּ֖רְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם חֲזֹ֨ון שֶׁ֜קֶר וְקֶ֤סֶם וְאֶלִיל וּתְרֻמוֹת לִבָּ֔ם הֵ֖מָּה מִֽתְנַבְּאִ֥ים לָכֶֽם׃ ס
And YHWH said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them, nor did I speak to them. A vision of falsehood, and divination, and a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart, they are prophesying to you.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Narrative verb introducing direct divine speech.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
- אֵלַ֗י (elai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates recipient of speech—Yirmeyahu.
- שֶׁ֚קֶר (sheqer) – Root: שקר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a lie”; Notes: Summarizes the nature of the false prophecy.
- הַנְּבִאִים (ha-neviʾim) – Root: נבא; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the prophets”; Notes: Refers to those claiming to speak for YHWH.
- נִבְּאִים (nibbeʾim) – Root: נבא; Form: Nifal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are prophesying”; Notes: Passive/middle voice indicating claim of inspiration.
- בִּשְׁמִי (bi-shemi) – Root: שם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “in My name”; Notes: Claims false authorization from YHWH.
- לֹא שְׁלַחְתִּים (lo shelachtim) – Root: שלח; Form: Negative particle + Qal perfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “I did not send them”; Notes: Emphasizes divine disavowal of their mission.
- וְלֹא צִוִּיתִים (ve-lo tsivvitim) – Root: צוה; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Piel perfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “nor did I command them”; Notes: Reinforces their unauthorized status.
- וְלֹא דִבַּרְתִּי (ve-lo dibbarti) – Root: דבר; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “nor did I speak”; Notes: Highlights the absence of divine communication.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Specifies that YHWH did not engage these prophets.
- חֲזֹון (ḥazon) – Root: חזה; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a vision”; Notes: Claim of revelatory insight—here false.
- שֶׁקֶר (sheqer) – Root: שקר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “falsehood”; Notes: Apposition to חֲזֹון, defining its deceitful nature.
- וְקֶסֶם (ve-qesem) – Root: קסם; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and divination”; Notes: Illicit occult practice condemned in Torah.
- וְאֶלִיל (ve-ʾelil) – Root: אלל; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and a worthless thing”; Notes: Often refers to idols or meaningless speech.
- וּתְרֻמוֹת (u-terumot) – Root: תרם; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine plural; Translation: “and deceitful fabrications” or “frauds”; Notes: Rare form, possibly from רמ”ה or a variation on תַּרְמִית (deceit); may require emendation.
- לִבָּם (libbam) – Root: לבב; Form: Noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “of their heart”; Notes: Source of the false visions—self-originated rather than divine.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: הם; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Subject of the concluding verb.
- מִתְנַבְּאִים (mitnabbeʾim) – Root: נבא; Form: Hitpael participle masculine plural; Translation: “are prophesying”; Notes: Reflexive/reciprocal sense—pretending or self-deceiving.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: כם; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct object—Yisraʾel receives the false words.