וְהַבָּנִ֗ים קְשֵׁ֤י פָנִים֙ וְחִזְקֵי־לֵ֔ב אֲנִ֛י שֹׁולֵ֥חַ אֹותְךָ֖ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃
And the sons, hard of face and strong of heart, I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says my Lord YHWH.”
Morphology
- וְהַבָּנִים (ve-ha-banim) – Root: בן; Form: Conjunction ו + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “And the sons”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Yisraʾel addressed by Ezekiel.
- קְשֵׁי (qeshei) – Root: קשׁה; Form: Adjective masculine plural construct; Translation: “hard of”; Notes: Construct form modifying “face.”
- פָנִים (panim) – Root: פנה; Form: Noun masculine plural (plural of respect, used as singular or plural); Translation: “face”; Notes: Indicates obstinacy or defiance.
- וְחִזְקֵי (ve-ḥizqei) – Root: חזק; Form: Conjunction ו + adjective masculine plural construct; Translation: “and strong of”; Notes: Construct adjective modifying “heart.”
- לֵב (lev) – Root: לבב; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “heart”; Notes: Figuratively denotes stubborn will.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun; Translation: “I”; Notes: YHWH himself as the subject of the commissioning.
- שֹׁולֵחַ (sholeaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am sending”; Notes: Ongoing action emphasizing divine commission.
- אֹותְךָ (ʾotkha) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Ezekiel as the one being sent.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾaleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition אֶל + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates direction of mission.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive (future force); Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Instructional command with future sense.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾaleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition אֶל + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis of audience.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Formula introducing prophetic speech.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing YHWH’s words.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן; Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix in construct (lit. “my Lord”); Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverential title for God.
- יְהֹוִה (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God, used in prophetic speech.