בְּאָמְרִ֤י לָֽרָשָׁע֙ מֹ֣ות תָּמ֔וּת וְלֹ֣א הִזְהַרְתֹּ֗ו וְלֹ֥א דִבַּ֛רְתָּ לְהַזְהִ֥יר רָשָׁ֛ע מִדַּרְכֹּ֥ו הָרְשָׁעָ֖ה לְחַיֹּתֹ֑ו ה֤וּא רָשָׁע֙ בַּעֲוֹנֹ֣ו יָמ֔וּת וְדָמֹ֖ו מִיָּדְךָ֥ אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃
When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you have not warned him, and you have not spoken to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, he, the wicked, in his iniquity shall die, but his blood from your hand I will require.
Morphology
- בְּאָמְרִי (be-omri) – Root: אמר; Form: Preposition ב + Qal infinitive construct with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “When I say”; Notes: Marks the conditional divine speech.
- לָרָשָׁע (la-rashaʿ) – Root: רשע; Form: Preposition ל + noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “to the wicked”; Notes: Refers to an ungodly or guilty individual.
- מֹות (mot) – Root: מות; Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “surely (die)”; Notes: Used for emphasis, intensifying the certainty of death.
- תָּמוּת (tamuth) – Root: מות; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall die”; Notes: Direct declaration of judgment.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Links the following actions as unfulfilled.
- הִזְהַרְתֹּו (hizharto) – Root: זהר; Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “you warned him”; Notes: Causative stem: to give warning, here negated.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues the list of neglected duties.
- דִבַּרְתָּ (dibbarta) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you spoke”; Notes: Piel intensifies, “you did not speak (earnestly).”
- לְהַזְהִיר (le-hazhir) – Root: זהר; Form: Hifil infinitive construct with ל; Translation: “to warn”; Notes: Expresses purpose of speaking.
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a wicked [man]”; Notes: Repeated to emphasize the guilty party.
- מִדַּרְכֹּו (mi-darko) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his way”; Notes: Refers to habitual conduct.
- הָרְשָׁעָה (ha-rishʿah) – Root: רשע; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the wickedness”; Notes: Qualifies the way as morally corrupt.
- לְחַיֹּתוֹ (le-ḥayyoto) – Root: חיה; Form: Preposition ל + Piel infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to save his life”; Notes: Expresses purpose: to preserve life by warning.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphatic subject of the next clause.
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “wicked”; Notes: Reiterates his moral status.
- בַּעֲוֹנֹו (ba-ʿavono) – Root: עון; Form: Preposition ב + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his iniquity”; Notes: Locative, “because of/within his guilt.”
- יָמוּת (yamuth) – Root: מות; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall die”; Notes: Stresses the certainty of judgment.
- וְדָמֹו (ve-damo) – Root: דם; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “but his blood”; Notes: Refers to accountability for his death.
- מִיָּדְךָ (mi-yadekha) – Root: יד; Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from your hand”; Notes: Metaphor for responsibility and accountability.
- אֲבַקֵּשׁ (avaqqesh) – Root: בקשׁ; Form: Piel imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will require”; Notes: Legal/judicial metaphor: YHWH will hold Ezekiel responsible.