וְאַתָּ֤ה בֶן־אָדָם֙ קַח־לְךָ֣ לְבֵנָ֔ה וְנָתַתָּ֥ה אֹותָ֖הּ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַקֹּותָ֥ עָלֶ֛יהָ עִ֖יר אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
And you, son of man, take for yourself a brick and set it before you, and engrave upon it a city, Yerushalayim.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atta) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction ו + independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Addressing Ezekiel directly.
- בֶן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בן / אדם; Form: Construct noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Ezekiel’s prophetic designation.
- קַח (qaḥ) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “take”; Notes: Command for symbolic prophetic action.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition ל + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Emphasizes Ezekiel’s personal involvement.
- לְבֵנָה (levenah) – Root: לבן; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “a brick”; Notes: Likely a clay tablet used for symbolic inscription.
- וְנָתַתָּה (ve-natatta) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and set”; Notes: Instruction to place the brick as an object-lesson.
- אֹותָהּ (otah) – Root: —; Form: Direct object pronoun, 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the brick.
- לְפָנֶיךָ (lefanekha) – Root: פנים; Form: Preposition ל + noun plural construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before you”; Notes: Indicates the brick is to be placed in Ezekiel’s sight.
- וְחַקֹּותָ (ve-ḥaqqota) – Root: חקק; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and engrave”; Notes: To inscribe or carve as symbolic act.
- עָלֶיהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על; Form: Preposition עַל + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “upon it”; Notes: Refers to the brick surface.
- עִיר (ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “a city”; Notes: General designation before specifying the city’s name.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Introduces the specific object “Yerushalayim.”
- יְרוּשָׁלִָם (Yerushalayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Place name; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: Central city of YHWH’s covenant, here represented symbolically on the brick.