כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִיא אֶל־הָעִ֤יר הַזֹּאת֙ וְעַל־כָּל־עָרֶ֔יהָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּ֤י הִקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עָרְפָּ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י שְׁמֹ֥ועַ אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי׃
“Thus said YHWH of armies, the God of Yisraʾel: ‘Behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have spoken against her, because they have stiffened their neck, so as not to listen to My words.’”
Morphology
- כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus said”; Notes: Standard prophetic introduction formula.
- יְהוָ֤ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Noun masculine plural in construct; Translation: “of armies”; Notes: Title emphasizing God’s supreme power.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (ʾelohei) – Root: אלהים; Form: Construct noun masculine plural; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Used in construct with “Yisraʾel.”
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: National name for the people of God.
- הִנְנִ֨י (hineni) – Root: הן; Form: Interjection + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Emphatic self-reference marking solemn divine action.
- מֵבִיא (meviʾ) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil participle masculine singular; Translation: “bringing”; Notes: Causative participle—YHWH initiates coming judgment.
- אֶל־הָעִ֤יר (el-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “upon the city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points specifically to Yerushalayim.
- וְעַל־כָּל־עָרֶ֔יהָ (ve-ʿal-kol-ʿareha) – Root: עיר; Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct noun “all” + plural noun + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and upon all her towns”; Notes: Expands judgment beyond the capital to surrounding cities.
- אֵת (et) – Root: את; Form: Definite direct object marker; Translation: [no direct English equivalent]; Notes: Introduces the object “all the evil.”
- כָּל־הָרָעָה (kol-ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Construct noun “all” + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “all the evil”; Notes: Refers to divine calamity or judgment.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause modifying “evil.”
- דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי (dibbarti) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have spoken”; Notes: Emphasizes that YHWH’s earlier warnings will come true.
- עָלֶ֑יהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against her”; Notes: Refers back to the city.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the judgment.
- הִקְשׁוּ (hiqshu) – Root: קשה; Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have hardened”; Notes: Moral stubbornness or defiance.
- אֶת־עָרְפָּם (et-ʿorfam) – Root: ערף; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their neck”; Notes: Idiom for rebellion—stiff-necked refusal to obey.
- לְבִלְתִּי (levilti) – Root: בלתי; Form: Preposition indicating negation of purpose; Translation: “so as not to”; Notes: Introduces negative purpose clause.
- שְׁמֹ֥ועַ (shemōaʿ) – Root: שמע; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to listen”; Notes: Highlights disobedience to prophetic words.
- אֶת־דְּבָרָֽי (et-devarai) – Root: דבר; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine plural + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My words”; Notes: Refers to divine messages through prophets.