וּבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֹאבוּ֙ לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־אֵינָ֥ם אֹבִ֖ים לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלָ֑י כִּ֚י כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חִזְקֵי־מֵ֥צַח וּקְשֵׁי־לֵ֖ב הֵֽמָּה׃
But the house of Yisraʾel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me, for all the house of Yisraʾel are strong of forehead and hard of heart they are.
Morphology
- וּבֵית (u-beit) – Root: בית; Form: Conjunction ו + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “But the house of”; Notes: Refers to the collective nation of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people, Ezekiel’s audience.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb “be willing.”
- יֹאבוּ (yoʾavu) – Root: אבה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they will be willing”; Notes: Here negated: “they will not be willing.”
- לִשְׁמֹעַ (lishmoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition ל; Translation: “to listen”; Notes: Infinitive complement to “be willing.”
- אֵלֶיךָ (ʾeleikha) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition אֶל + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Ezekiel.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason clause.
- אֵינָם (einam) – Root: —; Form: Negative existential particle + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “they are not”; Notes: Expresses absence of willingness.
- אֹבִים (ʾovim) – Root: אבה; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “willing”; Notes: Indicates ongoing disposition of refusal.
- לִשְׁמֹעַ (lishmoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition ל; Translation: “to listen”; Notes: Object of “willing.”
- אֵלָי (ʾelai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition אֶל + first person common singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to YHWH himself.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the second explanatory clause.
- כָּל־ (kol) – Root: כל; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “all of”; Notes: Universal scope: the entirety of Yisraʾel.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Again refers to the covenant community.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people as a whole.
- חִזְקֵי (ḥizqei) – Root: חזק; Form: Adjective masculine plural construct; Translation: “strong of”; Notes: Used figuratively of obstinacy.
- מֵצַח (meṣaḥ) – Root: מצח; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “forehead”; Notes: Symbol of hardness, stubbornness, shamelessness.
- וּקְשֵׁי (u-qeshei) – Root: קשה; Form: Adjective masculine plural construct with conjunction; Translation: “and hard of”; Notes: Indicates severity, obstinacy.
- לֵב (lev) – Root: לב; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “heart”; Notes: In Hebrew thought, the center of will, emotion, and decision-making.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they are”; Notes: Closing emphasis: their character is collectively stubborn.