וְדִבַּרְתָּ֤ אֶת־דְּבָרַי֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֖וּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּ֑לוּ כִּ֥י מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ פ
And you shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear or whether they will cease, for rebellious they are.
Morphology
- וְדִבַּרְתָּ (ve-dibbarta) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive (future force); Translation: “And you shall speak”; Notes: Piel intensifies: not merely uttering, but declaring solemnly.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks the object “my words.”
- דְּבָרַי (devarai) – Root: דבר; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my words”; Notes: Refers specifically to divine speech given to Ezekiel.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾaleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition אֶל + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Denotes the audience, the rebellious house of Yisraʾel.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: —; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “whether/if”; Notes: Introduces condition.
- יִשְׁמְעוּ (yishmeʿu) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they will hear/obey”; Notes: Expresses possible reception of the message.
- וְאִם (ve-ʾim) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction ו + conditional particle; Translation: “or if”; Notes: Marks the alternative outcome.
- יֶחְדָּלוּ (yeḥdalu) – Root: חדל; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they will cease”; Notes: Cease, desist, or refrain; here refusal to listen.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the explanatory clause of their character.
- מְרִי (meri) – Root: מרה; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “rebellion”; Notes: Defines their nature as defiant against YHWH.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they are”; Notes: Concludes emphatically that their essence is rebellion.