וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם שִׂ֤ים פָּנֶ֨יךָ֙ אֶל־בְּנֹ֣ות עַמְּךָ֔ הַמִּֽתְנַבְּאֹ֖ות מִֽלִּבְּהֶ֑ן וְהִנָּבֵ֖א עֲלֵיהֶֽן׃
“And you, son of man, set your face toward the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own heart, and prophesy against them.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּ֣ה (ve-atta) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Personal address to the prophet Yeḥezqel.
- בֶן־אָדָ֗ם (ben-adam) – Root: בן (ben), אדם (adam); Form: Noun construct chain masculine singular; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: YHWH’s designation for the prophet, stressing his humanity.
- שִׂ֤ים (sim) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “set”; Notes: Command to fix attention or focus.
- פָּנֶ֨יךָ֙ (panekha) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Noun masculine plural (plural of respect) + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your face”; Notes: Indicates determination or prophetic stance.
- אֶל־בְּנֹ֣ות (el-benot) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Preposition + plural construct feminine noun; Translation: “toward the daughters of”; Notes: Refers specifically to women among the people.
- עַמְּךָ֔ (ʿammekha) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your people”; Notes: Identifies them as belonging to Yisraʾel.
- הַמִּֽתְנַבְּאֹ֖ות (ha-mitnabbeʾot) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Hitpael participle feminine plural with article; Translation: “who prophesy”; Notes: Reflexive stem, often of self-claimed inspiration, here false prophecy.
- מִֽלִּבְּהֶ֑ן (mi-libbehen) – Root: לב (lev); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “out of their own heart”; Notes: Denotes origin in personal imagination, not YHWH’s word.
- וְהִנָּבֵ֖א (ve-hinnave) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Nifal imperative masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and prophesy”; Notes: Command to announce YHWH’s true word against them.
- עֲלֵיהֶֽן (aleihen) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “against them”; Notes: Marks direction of prophetic denunciation toward the false prophetesses.