וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם אֱמֹר֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כֵּ֤ן אֲמַרְתֶּם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כִּֽי־פְשָׁעֵ֥ינוּ וְחַטֹּאתֵ֖ינוּ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּבָ֛ם אֲנַ֥חְנוּ נְמַקִּ֖ים וְאֵ֥יךְ נִֽחְיֶֽה׃
And you, son of man, say to the house of Yisraʾel: ‘Thus you have said, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and in them we are wasting away—how then shall we live?”’
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atah) – Root: אתה (atah); Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “and you”; Notes: Directly addresses the prophet Ezekiel, marking a shift in divine instruction.
- בֶן־ (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “son of”; Notes: Construct form linking with “man.”
- אָדָם (adam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “man”; Notes: Title emphasizing Ezekiel’s humanity in contrast to YHWH’s divinity.
- אֱמֹר (emor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “say”; Notes: Divine command directing Ezekiel to communicate God’s message.
- אֶל־ (el) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the addressee of the command.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Construct phrase referring to the collective people of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Represents the covenant community addressed through the prophet.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus / so”; Notes: Introduces the reported speech of Yisraʾel, affirming the people’s lament.
- אֲמַרְתֶּם (amartem) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have said”; Notes: Refers to the collective confession of Yisraʾel acknowledging their guilt.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾmor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of their words following the prophetic formula.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “surely / because”; Notes: Introduces the people’s lamentation.
- פְשָׁעֵינוּ (pishaʿenu) – Root: פשׁע (pashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “our transgressions”; Notes: Refers to acts of rebellion against YHWH’s covenant law.
- וְחַטֹּאתֵינוּ (ve-ḥattoʾtenu) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine plural + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “and our sins”; Notes: Broadens the confession to include moral and ritual failings.
- עָלֵינוּ (ʿaleinu) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 1st person common plural; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Expresses the burden of guilt that lies heavily upon the people.
- וּבָם (u-vam) – Root: בְּ + הם; Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and in them”; Notes: Indicates the state of being consumed within their own sins.
- אֲנַחְנוּ (anachnu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person common plural; Translation: “we”; Notes: Emphasizes communal confession.
- נְמַקִּים (nemakkim) – Root: נמק (namak); Form: Nifal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are wasting away”; Notes: Describes physical and moral decay resulting from sin.
- וְאֵיךְ (ve-ʾekh) – Root: איך (ʾekh); Form: Conjunction וְ + interrogative adverb; Translation: “and how”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expressing despair.
- נִחְיֶה (niḥyeh) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “shall we live”; Notes: Expresses hopelessness—how can life continue under the weight of sin and divine judgment?