וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם הִנָּבֵ֤א וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּ֖ון וְאֶל־חֶרְפָּתָ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ חֶ֣רֶב חֶ֤רֶב פְּתוּחָה֙ לְטֶ֣בַח מְרוּטָ֔ה לְהָכִ֖יל לְמַ֥עַן בָּרָֽק׃
And you, son of man, prophesy and you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH to the sons of ʿAmmon and to their reproach,’ and you shall say: ‘Sword, sword, opened for slaughter, polished to devour, for the sake of lightning.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atta) – Root: אתה (ʾattah); Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun 2ms; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Direct address marking the prophet as addressee.
- בֶן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “son of”; Notes: Construct state links to the following noun.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: Idiom “son of man” is Ezekiel’s prophetic title.
- הִנָּבֵא (hin-nave) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Niphal imperative 2ms; Translation: “prophesy”; Notes: Command to proclaim a divine message.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2ms with prefixed ו (injunctive/wəqatal); Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Formula introducing the quotation.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Deictic marker of prophetic citation.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3ms (gnomic/present force in formula); Translation: “says”; Notes: Standing prophetic formula “Thus says…”.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Title; Translation: “the Lord”; Notes: Conventional title preceding the Tetragrammaton.
- יְהֹוִה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Tetragrammaton rendered as YHWH.
- אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition with maqqef; Translation: “to”; Notes: Directs the oracle toward a recipient.
- בְּנֵי (benei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Construct linking to “ʿAmmon.”
- עַמֹּון (ʿAmmon) – Root: עמון (ʿAmmon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿAmmon”; Notes: Nation east of the Jordan; target of the oracle.
- וְאֶל־ (ve-ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition with maqqef; Translation: “and to”; Notes: Adds a second object of address.
- חֶרְפָּתָם (ḥerpatam) – Root: חרף (ḥeref); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their reproach”; Notes: Denotes their shame/insults.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2ms with prefixed ו (injunctive/wəqatal); Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Second directive—introduces the specific proclamation.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥarev); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Symbol of judgment.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥarev); Form: Noun feminine singular (repeated); Translation: “sword”; Notes: Repetition intensifies urgency and terror.
- פְּתוּחָה (petuḥah) – Root: פתח (pataḥ); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “opened/drawn”; Notes: Visualizes an unsheathed weapon ready to strike.
- לְטֶבַח (le-tevakh) – Root: טבח (tavakh); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for slaughter”; Notes: States purpose of the drawn sword.
- מְרוּטָה (merutah) – Root: מרט (marat); Form: Pual participle feminine singular; Translation: “polished”; Notes: Conveys sharpened, gleaming readiness.
- לְהָכִיל (le-hakhil) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Hiphil infinitive construct; Translation: “to devour”; Notes: Causative—“to cause to consume,” i.e., to destroy.
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition/conjunction; Translation: “for the sake of / in order that”; Notes: Introduces ultimate intent.
- בָּרָק (baraq) – Root: ברק (baraq); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “lightning”; Notes: Evokes the flashing brilliance of the polished blade.