וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֗ות כָּ֣כָה אֶשְׁבֹּ֞ר אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ וְאֶת־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁבֹּר֙ אֶת־כְּלִ֣י הַיֹּוצֵ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־יוּכַ֥ל לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה עֹ֑וד וּבְתֹ֣פֶת יִקְבְּר֔וּ מֵאֵ֥ין מָקֹ֖ום לִקְבֹּֽור׃
And you shall say to them: ‘Thus said YHWH of armies: “So will I shatter this people and this city, as one shatters the potter’s vessel that cannot be repaired again. And in the Tofet they shall bury, because there is no place to bury.
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Introduces prophetic speech.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Direct audience of the prophetic address.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus said”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָה צְבָאֹות (YHWH Tsevaʾot) – Root: יהוה, צבא; Form: Proper noun + construct plural noun; Translation: “YHWH of armies”; Notes: Divine title emphasizing military sovereignty.
- כָּכָה (kakhah) – Root: כה; Form: Demonstrative adverb; Translation: “So”; Notes: Introduces a comparison or symbolic act.
- אֶשְׁבֹּר (eshbor) – Root: שׁבר; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will shatter”; Notes: Divine judgment action likened to breaking pottery.
- אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה (et-ha-ʿam ha-zeh) – Root: עם; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine singular + demonstrative; Translation: “this people”; Notes: Object of divine shattering.
- וְאֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת (ve-et-ha-ʿir ha-zot) – Root: עיר; Form: Conjunction + direct object marker + definite noun feminine singular + demonstrative; Translation: “and this city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim under judgment.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (kaʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Preposition + relative pronoun; Translation: “as”; Notes: Introduces simile of destruction.
- יִשְׁבֹּר (yishbor) – Root: שׁבר; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “one shatters”; Notes: Refers to generic action for comparison.
- אֶת־כְּלִי הַיֹּוצֵר (et-keli ha-yotser) – Root: כלי, יצר; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular + participle masculine singular with article; Translation: “the potter’s vessel”; Notes: Symbol of irreparable judgment.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a clause describing the vessel.
- לֹא־יוּכַל (lo-yukhal) – Root: יכל; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “cannot”; Notes: Negation of possibility or ability.
- לְהֵרָפֵה (le-herafeh) – Root: רפא; Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to be repaired”; Notes: Nifal passive — no restoration possible.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Implies permanent destruction.
- וּבְתֹפֶת (u-ve-Tofet) – Root: תפת; Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and in the Tofet”; Notes: The Valley associated with judgment and burial.
- יִקְבְּרוּ (yiqberu) – Root: קבר; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall bury”; Notes: Describes the necessity of burial at Tofet due to lack of space elsewhere.
- מֵאֵין (meʾein) – Root: אין; Form: Preposition + particle of nonexistence; Translation: “because there is no”; Notes: Gives the reason for burial location.
- מָקֹום (maqom) – Root: קום; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to physical burial ground.
- לִקְבֹּור (likbor) – Root: קבר; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to bury”; Notes: Expresses purpose — nowhere left for burial due to slaughter.