הָלֹ֣וךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ לְעֶבֶד־מֶ֨לֶךְ הַכּוּשִׁ֜י לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִיא֙ אֶת־דְּבָרַ֜י אֶל־הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֛את לְרָעָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א לְטֹובָ֑ה וְהָי֥וּ לְפָנֶ֖יךָ בַּיֹּ֥ום הַהֽוּא׃
“Go, and you shall say to ʿEved-melekh the Kushi, saying: ‘Thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Yisraʾel: “Behold, I am bringing my words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they shall come before you on that day.”
Morphology
- הָלֹוךְ (halokh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Infinitive absolute used imperatively to strengthen the command.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with conversive; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Directs Jeremiah to speak YHWH’s message.
- לְעֶבֶד־מֶלֶךְ (le-ʿEved-melekh) – Root: עבד (ʿeved), מלך (melekh); Form: Preposition + construct chain; Translation: “to ʿEved-melekh”; Notes: Proper name meaning “servant of the king.”
- הַכּוּשִׁי (ha-Kushi) – Root: כושׁ (Kush); Form: Definite gentilic adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the Kushite”; Notes: Identifies his ethnic origin from Kush (Ethiopia/Nubia).
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with prefixed ל; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the quotation of YHWH’s words.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “of Hosts”; Notes: Refers to heavenly armies or divine power.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Genitive construct introducing nation over which YHWH rules.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Interjection + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Marks emphatic divine action.
- מֵבִיא (meviʾ) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “am bringing”; Notes: Indicates ongoing or imminent action by YHWH.
- אֶת־דְּבָרַי (et-devarai) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine plural with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my words”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s decrees or pronouncements.
- אֶל־הָעִיר (el-ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “upon the city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the city in focus.
- לְרָעָה (le-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for evil”; Notes: Refers to destruction or calamity.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Contrasts divine intention.
- לְטוֹבָה (le-tovah) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for good”; Notes: Contrasts with “for evil.”
- וְהָיוּ (ve-hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conversive; Translation: “and they shall come/be”; Notes: Refers to the fulfillment of YHWH’s words.
- לְפָנֶיךָ (lefanekha) – Root: פן (panim); Form: Preposition + noun plural construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before you”; Notes: Indicates personal witness of the events by ʿEved-melekh.
- בַּיּוֹם (ba-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Temporal marker.
- הַהוּא (ha-hu) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Specifies the destined day of fulfillment.