Ezekiel 13:18

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הֹוי֩ לִֽמְתַפְּרֹ֨ות כְּסָתֹ֜ות עַ֣ל כָּל־אַצִּילֵ֣י יָדַ֗י וְעֹשֹׂ֧ות הַמִּסְפָּחֹ֛ות עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־קֹומָ֖ה לְצֹודֵ֣ד נְפָשֹׁ֑ות הַנְּפָשֹׁות֙ תְּצֹודֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשֹׁ֖ות לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה׃

And you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “Woe to the women who sew coverings upon all wrists of my hands and who make veils upon the head of every stature to hunt down souls. Will you hunt down the souls of my people and keep your own souls alive?

Morphology

1. וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And you shall say”; Notes: Command to the prophet to deliver YHWH’s message.
2. כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Formula introducing divine speech.
3. אֲדֹנָ֣י (Adonai) – Root: אדן (adon); Form: Noun masculine plural of majesty; Translation: “the Lord”; Notes: Sovereign title for YHWH.
4. יְהוִ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
5. הֹוי֩ (hoi) – Root: הוי (hoi); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Woe”; Notes: Cry of lament or denunciation.
6. לִֽמְתַפְּרֹ֨ות (limtapperōt) – Root: תפר (tafar); Form: Preposition + Hitpael participle feminine plural; Translation: “to the women who sew”; Notes: Reflexive, emphasizes their act of making deceptive objects.
7. כְּסָתֹ֜ות (kesatōt) – Root: כתס (kasat, cover); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “coverings”; Notes: Possibly magical amulets or bands.
8. עַ֣ל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates placement.
9. כָּל־אַצִּילֵ֣י (kol-atsilei) – Root: אצל (atsil); Form: Construct phrase “all of the wrists”; Translation: “all wrists of”; Notes: Refers to arm joints or hands.
10. יָדַ֗י (yadai) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun feminine dual + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my hands”; Notes: Puzzling expression, could mean “on the hands of every person.”
11. וְעֹשֹׂ֧ות (ve-ʿosot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Conjunction + Qal participle feminine plural; Translation: “and who make”; Notes: Refers to continuous action.
12. הַמִּסְפָּחֹ֛ות (ha-mispaḥot) – Root: ספח (sapaḥ); Form: Definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “veils”; Notes: Possibly magical head coverings or charms.
13. עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ (ʿal-roʾsh) – Root: ראשׁ (roʾsh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “upon the head of”; Notes: Specifies placement.
14. כָּל־קֹומָ֖ה (kol-qomah) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “every stature”; Notes: Could mean people of every size/age.
15. לְצֹודֵ֣ד (le-tsōded) – Root: צוד (tsud); Form: Preposition + Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to hunt down”; Notes: Intensified form of capturing or ensnaring.
16. נְפָשֹׁ֑ות (nefashot) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “souls”; Notes: Refers to lives of people, targeted by deception.
17. הַנְּפָשֹׁות֙ (ha-nefashot) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Form: Definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “the souls”; Notes: Repetition intensifies focus on the victims.
18. תְּצֹודֵ֣דְנָה (tetsodednah) – Root: צוד (tsud); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person feminine plural; Translation: “will you hunt down”; Notes: Addressed directly to the women, accusatory tone.
19. לְעַמִּ֔י (le-ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my people”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s covenant community.
20. וּנְפָשֹׁ֖ות (u-nefashot) – Root: נפשׁ (nefesh); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine plural; Translation: “and souls”; Notes: Contrast between the lives of the people and their own.
21. לָכֶ֥נָה (lakhenah) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “for yourselves”; Notes: Directed to the prophetesses preserving their own lives.
22. תְחַיֶּֽינָה (teḥayyenah) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person feminine plural; Translation: “will you keep alive”; Notes: Rhetorical, accusing them of self-preservation while destroying others.