וַיְשִׁבֵנִי֮ אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הַבַּיִת֒ וְהִנֵּה־מַ֣יִם יֹצְאִ֗ים מִתַּ֨חַת מִפְתַּ֤ן הַבַּ֨יִת֙ קָדִ֔ימָה כִּֽי־פְנֵ֥י הַבַּ֖יִת קָדִ֑ים וְהַמַּ֣יִם יֹרְדִ֗ים מִתַּ֜חַת מִכֶּ֤תֶף הַבַּ֨יִת֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית מִנֶּ֖גֶב לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
And he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and behold, waters were going out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the face of the house is east, and the waters were descending from under the right side of the house, from the south of the altar.
Morphology
- וַיְשִׁבֵנִי (va-yĕshivēni) – Root: שׁוּב (shuv); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “And he brought me back”; Notes: Causative movement performed by the guiding figure in the vision.
- אֶל־פֶּתַח (ʾel-petaḥ) – Root: פָּתַח (pataḥ); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the entrance”; Notes: Directional phrase pointing to the temple doorway.
- הַבַּיִת (ha-bayit) – Root: בַּיִת (bayit); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the house”; Notes: Refers to the Temple in Ezekiel’s vision.
- וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinnēh) – Root: הִנֵּה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Marks a sudden, noteworthy observation in the narrative.
- מַיִם (mayim) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Subject of the participles that follow; emblem of life/purification.
- יֹצְאִים (yōtsʾīm) – Root: יָצָא (yatsaʾ); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “were going out”; Notes: Continuous outflow from the sanctuary area.
- מִתַּחַת (mi-taḥat) – Root: תַּחַת (taḥat); Form: Preposition מִן + adverbial noun; Translation: “from under”; Notes: Specifies sub-structural origin of the waters.
- מִפְתַּן (mifṭan) – Root: פְּתַן (patan); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “threshold”; Notes: Base of the doorway serving as the issuing point.
- הַבַּיִת (ha-bayit) – Root: בַּיִת (bayit); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the house”; Notes: Repetition keeps focus on the sacred source.
- קָדִימָה (qādīmāh) – Root: קָדַם (qadam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “eastward”; Notes: Indicates direction of flow toward the sunrise.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כִּי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the rationale for the eastward movement.
- פְנֵי (pĕnē) – Root: פָּנָה (panah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “the face of”; Notes: Construct element governing “the house.”
- הַבַּיִת (ha-bayit) – Root: בַּיִת (bayit); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the house”; Notes: Head of the construct chain “the face of the house.”
- קָדִים (qādīm) – Root: קָדַם (qadam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “east”; Notes: States the orientation of the façade.
- וְהַמַּיִם (ve-ha-mayim) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “and the waters”; Notes: Resumes the flow description with a new participle.
- יֹרְדִים (yōrĕdīm) – Root: יָרַד (yarad); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “were descending”; Notes: Ongoing downward motion from higher precincts.
- מִתַּחַת (mi-taḥat) – Root: תַּחַת (taḥat); Form: Preposition מִן + adverbial noun; Translation: “from under”; Notes: Repetition heightens the sense of a hidden, sub-floor source.
- מִכֶּתֶף (mi-ketef) – Root: כָּתֵף (ketef); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the side”; Notes: “Shoulder/side” as architectural flank of the building.
- הַבַּיִת (ha-bayit) – Root: בַּיִת (bayit); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the house”; Notes: Identifies the structure whose right side issues the water.
- הַיְמָנִית (ha-yĕmānit) – Root: יָמִין (yamin) / ימן (yaman); Form: Definite adjective feminine singular; Translation: “the right”; Notes: Modifies the implied “side,” specifying the right-hand flank.
- מִנֶּגֶב (min-negev) – Root: נֶגֶב (negev); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the south”; Notes: Locative orientation in relation to the altar.
- לַמִּזְבֵּחַ (la-mizbēaḥ) – Root: זָבַח (zavaḥ); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the altar / toward the altar”; Notes: Marks the goal/direction of the descending waters within the court.