וְאַתָּ֤ה קַח־לְךָ֙ מַחֲבַ֣ת בַּרְזֶ֔ל וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אֹותָהּ֙ קִ֣יר בַּרְזֶ֔ל בֵּינְךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין הָעִ֑יר וַהֲכִינֹתָה֩ אֶת־פָּנֶ֨יךָ אֵלֶ֜יהָ וְהָיְתָ֤ה בַמָּצֹור֙ וְצַרְתָּ֣ עָלֶ֔יהָ אֹ֥ות הִ֖יא לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
And you, take for yourself an iron griddle, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face against it, and it shall be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Yisraʾel.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atta) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction ו + independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Direct address to Ezekiel.
- קַח (qaḥ) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “take”; Notes: Command initiating symbolic prophetic action.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition ל + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Indicates personal responsibility.
- מַחֲבַת (maḥavat) – Root: חבת; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “griddle”; Notes: Cooking implement used symbolically as an iron barrier.
- בַּרְזֶל (barzel) – Root: ברזל; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “iron”; Notes: Material emphasizing strength and impenetrability.
- וְנָתַתָּה (ve-natatta) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and set”; Notes: Instruction to position the griddle symbolically.
- אֹותָהּ (otah) – Root: —; Form: Direct object pronoun 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the griddle.
- קִיר (qir) – Root: קיר; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “wall”; Notes: Used metaphorically of the griddle becoming a barrier.
- בַּרְזֶל (barzel) – Root: ברזל; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “iron”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- בֵּינְךָ (bein-kha) – Root: בין; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “between you”; Notes: Positioning of the wall between Ezekiel and the city.
- וּבֵין (u-vein) – Root: בין; Form: Conjunction ו + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “and between”; Notes: Continues relational positioning.
- הָעִיר (ha-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim symbolized by the brick.
- וַהֲכִינֹתָה (va-hakhinota) – Root: כון; Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and set/prepare”; Notes: Causative: to direct or establish one’s face.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks the object “your face.”
- פָּנֶיךָ (panekha) – Root: פנים; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your face”; Notes: Refers to Ezekiel’s prophetic focus toward the city.
- אֵלֶיהָ (eleha) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition אֶל + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “toward it”; Notes: Refers to the city.
- וְהָיְתָה (ve-hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Refers to the city’s condition.
- בַּמָּצֹור (ba-matsor) – Root: צור; Form: Preposition ב + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “under siege”; Notes: Describes the prophetic act of the city being besieged.
- וְצַרְתָּ (ve-tsarta) – Root: צרר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall besiege”; Notes: Ezekiel enacts the role of besieger.
- עָלֶיהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על; Form: Preposition עַל + third person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against it.”
- אֹות (ʾot) – Root: אות; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a sign”; Notes: Symbolic action pointing to YHWH’s message.
- הִיא (hi) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Refers to the symbolic act.
- לְבֵית (le-beit) – Root: בית; Form: Preposition ל + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “to the house of”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people as the intended audience of the sign.