וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלַ֖י הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָ֑ם וַיֹּולִכֵ֥נִי וַיְשִׁבֵ֖נִי שְׂפַ֥ת הַנָּֽחַל׃
And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man?” Then he led me and brought me back to the bank of the river.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yōmer) – Root: אָמַר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Common narrative form introducing direct speech in prophetic dialogue.
- אֵלַי (ʾelai) – Root: אֶל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks the indirect object, the prophet addressed by the speaker.
- הֲרָאִיתָ (ha-raʾita) – Root: רָאָה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with interrogative particle הֲ; Translation: “Have you seen?”; Notes: A question calling for reflection on the vision’s meaning.
- בֶן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בֵּן (ben), אָדָם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Ezekiel’s standard designation as addressed by the divine or angelic guide.
- וַיֹּולִכֵנִי (va-yolikhēni) – Root: הָלַךְ (halakh); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “and he led me”; Notes: Causative sense, denoting the guide’s active leading of the prophet.
- וַיְשִׁבֵנִי (va-yĕshivēni) – Root: שׁוּב (shuv); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “and he brought me back”; Notes: Indicates a return to a former location for renewed observation.
- שְׂפַת (sĕfat) – Root: שָׂפָה (safah); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “the bank of”; Notes: Construct form linking with the following noun “river.”
- הַנָּחַל (ha-naḥal) – Root: נָחַל (naḥal); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the river”; Notes: Refers to the river of life seen flowing from the Temple in Ezekiel’s vision.