Ezekiel 33:32

וְהִנְּךָ֤ לָהֶם֙ כְּשִׁ֣יר עֲגָבִ֔ים יְפֵ֥ה קֹ֖ול וּמֵטִ֣ב נַגֵּ֑ן וְשָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ וְעֹשִׂ֥ים אֵינָ֖ם אֹותָֽם׃

And behold, you are to them like a song of loves, one with a beautiful voice and skillful in playing; and they hear your words, but they do not do them.

Morphology

1. וְהִנְּךָ (ve-hinneka) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Conjunction וְ + particle of presentation + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and behold, you”; Notes: Used to introduce an observation—YHWH draws Yeḥezqel’s attention to how the people perceive him.
2. לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them / for them”; Notes: Indicates relation or perspective—how the people view Yeḥezqel’s role.
3. כְּשִׁיר (ke-shir) – Root: שׁיר (shir); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a song”; Notes: Compares Yeḥezqel’s prophetic messages to entertainment rather than moral exhortation.
4. עֲגָבִים (ʿagavim) – Root: עגב (ʿagav); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “of loves / of passion”; Notes: Denotes sensual or superficial affection—used metaphorically for flattery or emotional delight without substance.
5. יְפֵה (yefe) – Root: יפה (yafeh); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “beautiful”; Notes: Describes the pleasant tone of Yeḥezqel’s speech, appreciated aesthetically but not heeded spiritually.
6. קֹול (qol) – Root: קול (qol); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Refers to the prophet’s delivery—admired for its sound rather than its divine content.
7. וּמֵטִיב (u-metiv) – Root: יטב (yatav); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hiphil participle masculine singular; Translation: “and skillful”; Notes: Hiphil participle denotes ability or proficiency—refers to one who performs well.
8. נַגֵּן (naggen) – Root: נגן (nagan); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “in playing (music)”; Notes: Suggests artistry; the people treat prophecy as pleasing art instead of divine truth.
9. וְשָׁמְעוּ (ve-shamʿu) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they hear”; Notes: Indicates active listening but lacks obedience—an ironic statement about false reverence.
10. אֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ (et-devareikha) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your words”; Notes: Refers to Yeḥezqel’s prophetic utterances, which the people treat as performance rather than command.
11. וְעֹשִׂים (ve-ʿosim) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “and doing”; Notes: Indicates ongoing behavior—the people habitually disregard YHWH’s words.
12. אֵינָם (einam) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative particle אֵין + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they do not”; Notes: Used for factual negation—emphasizes their persistent refusal to act.
13. אֹותָם (otam) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to Yeḥezqel’s words—they listen but fail to obey or practice what they hear.