לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֣ר אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה שׁ֣וּבוּ וְהָשִׁ֔יבוּ מֵעַ֖ל גִּלּֽוּלֵיכֶ֑ם וּמֵעַ֥ל כָּל־תֹּועֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם הָשִׁ֥יבוּ פְנֵיכֶֽם׃
“Therefore say to the house of Yisraʾel, ‘Thus says my Lord YHWH: “Return and turn away from your idols, and from all your abominations turn away your faces.”
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a divine directive following judgment.
- אֱמֹר (ʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “say”; Notes: Command to the prophet to deliver YHWH’s words.
- אֶל־בֵּית (ʾel-beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “to the house of”; Notes: Refers to the nation as a collective family.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant nation addressed directly.
- כֹּה אָמַר (koh amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Standard prophetic messenger formula.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix of majesty; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: A reverential title, here paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hawah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God.
- שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Return”; Notes: Call to repentance and turning back to YHWH.
- וְהָשִׁיבוּ (ve-hashivu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “and turn away”; Notes: Causative form: to actively remove or reject.
- מֵעַל (me-ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition with prefixed מִן; Translation: “from upon”; Notes: Emphasizes removal from one’s sphere of devotion.
- גִּלּוּלֵיכֶם (gilluleikhem) – Root: גלל (galal); Form: Plural noun construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your idols”; Notes: Derogatory term for false gods.
- וּמֵעַל (u-meʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Conjunction + preposition with prefixed מִן; Translation: “and from upon”; Notes: Parallel command intensifying removal.
- כָּל־תֹּועֲבֹתֵיכֶם (kol-toʿavoteikhem) – Root: תֹּועבה (toʿevah); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix with preceding noun כָּל; Translation: “all your abominations”; Notes: Refers to detestable practices associated with idolatry.
- הָשִׁיבוּ (hashivu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Hiphil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “turn away”; Notes: Repeated command for emphasis, signaling decisive action.
- פְנֵיכֶם (peneikhem) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Plural noun construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your faces”; Notes: Symbol of attention and direction, to be turned away from sin toward YHWH.