וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלַ֜י יְהוָ֗ה הַשַּׁ֣עַר הַזֶּה֩ סָג֨וּר יִהְיֶ֜ה לֹ֣א יִפָּתֵ֗חַ וְאִישׁ֙ לֹא־יָ֣בֹא בֹ֔ו כִּ֛י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּ֣א בֹ֑ו וְהָיָ֖ה סָגֽוּר׃
And YHWH said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel, has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Standard narrative form introducing direct divine speech in prophetic literature.
- אֵלַי (elay) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates YHWH addressing the prophet directly.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God, the speaker in this vision.
- הַשַּׁעַר (ha-shaʿar) – Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the gate”; Notes: Refers to the eastern gate of the temple compound, already mentioned as closed in the previous verse.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the exact gate being referenced — the eastern gate.
- סָגוּר (sagur) – Root: סגר (sagar); Form: Passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “shut”; Notes: Describes the gate’s state — permanently sealed.
- יִהְיֶה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it shall be”; Notes: Predictive statement affirming the gate’s continued closure by divine decree.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Used for negating verbs — here negating “shall be opened.”
- יִפָּתֵחַ (yippateach) – Root: פתח (pataḥ); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it shall be opened”; Notes: The passive stem emphasizes that no one will cause it to be opened.
- וְאִישׁ (ve-ish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and no man”; Notes: Indicates universality — no human being is permitted entry.
- לֹא־יָבֹא (lo-yavo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with negative particle; Translation: “shall not enter”; Notes: Expresses prohibition — the gate is reserved exclusively for divine entry.
- בֹו (bo) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + third person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “by it” or “through it”; Notes: Refers to movement through the gate itself.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces causal clause explaining the divine reason for the closure.
- יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (YHWH Elohei-Yisraʾel) – Root: היה (hayah) / אל (ʾel) / שר (sar, in name compound); Form: Compound divine title; Translation: “YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s unique relationship and covenant lordship over Yisraʾel.
- בָּא (ba) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has entered”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed action — YHWH’s glory has already entered through this eastern gate.
- בֹּו (bo) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + third person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “through it”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes sacred exclusivity — only YHWH has entered through this gate.
- וְהָיָה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with prefixed conjunction וְ; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Concludes the divine decree with permanence — the closure remains perpetual.
- סָגוּר (sagur) – Root: סגר (sagar); Form: Passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “shut”; Notes: The repetition reinforces the sacred status of the eastern gate — eternally closed as a sign of YHWH’s indwelling presence.