לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֣ר לְבֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה לֹ֧א לְמַעַנְכֶ֛ם אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶׂ֖ה בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י אִם־לְשֵׁם־קָדְשִׁי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חִלַּלְתֶּ֔ם בַּגֹּויִ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥אתֶם שָֽׁם׃
Therefore say to the house of Yisraʾel: ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “Not for your sake am I acting, O house of Yisraʾel, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have come.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a divine declaration following the previous explanation of judgment and mercy.
- אֱמֹר (ʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “say”; Notes: Direct command to the prophet Yeḥezqel to deliver YHWH’s message.
- לְבֵית־יִשְׂרָאֵל (le-beit-Yisraʾel) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “to the house of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Addressed to the entire covenant nation.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Indicates divine authorship of the following oracle.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural of majesty; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Title of divine authority and rulership.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of the God of Yisraʾel, the speaker in this oracle.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces the contrastive statement emphasizing divine motive.
- לְמַעַנְכֶם (le-maʿankhem) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “for your sake”; Notes: Indicates that YHWH’s actions are not motivated by Israel’s merit.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: YHWH personally identifies Himself as the actor in the divine restoration.
- עֹשֶׂה (ʿoseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am doing” or “am acting”; Notes: Denotes YHWH’s ongoing and active intervention.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Repetition reinforces address to the collective people.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation under covenant relationship with YHWH.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but” or “rather”; Notes: Here contrasts YHWH’s true motivation with Israel’s mistaken assumption.
- אִם (ʾim) – Root: —; Form: Particle of contrast; Translation: “but” or “except”; Notes: Strengthens the opposition to the preceding “not for your sake.”
- לְשֵׁם־קָדְשִׁי (le-shem-qodshi) – Root: שם (shem); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular with suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “for My holy name”; Notes: Expresses divine motive—preserving the sanctity of YHWH’s reputation.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the subordinate clause explaining what has been profaned.
- חִלַּלְתֶּם (ḥillaltem) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have profaned”; Notes: Intensive stem denoting Israel’s active desecration of YHWH’s name through disobedience and exile.
- בַּגּוֹיִם (ba-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “among the nations”; Notes: Refers to foreign peoples among whom Israel was scattered.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “where” or “in which”; Notes: Introduces the clause specifying the location of Israel’s exile.
- בָּאתֶם (baʾtem) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have come”; Notes: Refers to Israel’s arrival among the nations as a result of divine judgment.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: —; Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates the location of Israel’s presence among the nations.