בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם כתוב־לְךָ֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם הַיֹּ֔ום אֶת־עֶ֖צֶם הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֑ה סָמַ֤ךְ מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ אֶל־יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃
“Son of man, write for yourself the name of the day, this very day. The king of Bavel laid siege against Yerushalayim on this very day.
Morphology
- בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בן (ben), אדם (ʾadam); Form: Construct noun masculine singular + absolute noun masculine singular; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: A prophetic address formula directed to Yeḥezqel.
- כתוב־לְךָ (ketov-lekha) – Root: כתב (katav); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular + preposition לְ with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “write for yourself”; Notes: A divine command to record a prophetic sign-act.
- אֶת־שֵׁם (ʾet-shem) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the name”; Notes: Refers here to the designation or record of the day.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Specifies the time being written down.
- אֶת־עֶצֶם (ʾet-ʿetsem) – Root: עֶצֶם (ʿetsem); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the very”; Notes: Functions idiomatically to intensify: “the very essence.”
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the exact day.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Identifies the specific day.
- סָמַךְ (samakh) – Root: סמך (samakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “laid siege”; Notes: In context, means to press or besiege a city.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך (melekh), בבל (Bavel); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to Nebukhadnetstsar of Babylon.
- אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם (ʾel-Yerushalayim) – Root: אל (ʾel), ירושׁלם (Yerushalayim); Form: Preposition אֶל + proper noun; Translation: “against Yerushalayim”; Notes: Indicates the city targeted in the siege.
- בְּעֶצֶם (be-ʿetsem) – Root: עֶצֶם (ʿetsem); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the very”; Notes: Emphatic phrase highlighting the exact time.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “day”; Notes: Again underscores the specific day of the event.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Repetition frames the prophetic date as exact and divinely significant.