נִדְמ֥וּ עַמִּ֖י מִבְּלִ֣י הַדָּ֑עַת כִּֽי־אַתָּ֞ה הַדַּ֣עַת מָאַ֗סְתָּ וְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ֙ מִכַּהֵ֣ן לִ֔י וַתִּשְׁכַּח֙ תֹּורַ֣ת אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח בָּנֶ֖יךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest to Me; since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
Morphology
- נִדְמ֥וּ (nidmu) – Root: דמה (d-m-h); Form: Niphal perfect 3mp; Translation: “are destroyed” / “have been silenced”; Notes: The Niphal conveys passive sense — the people suffer ruin or annihilation. Can also imply being “cut off” or “made silent.”
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: A term of covenantal intimacy; despite their rebellion, YHWH still identifies them as His people, showing relational pain.
- מִבְּלִי (mibli) – Root: —; Form: Preposition מִן + negative particle; Translation: “for lack of,” “because there is no”; Notes: Introduces the cause of their destruction — spiritual ignorance, not mere intellectual deficiency.
- הַדָּעַת (haddaʿat) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the knowledge”; Notes: Refers to intimate, covenantal awareness of YHWH, not abstract learning — the knowledge that comes from faithful relationship.
- כִּי־אַתָּה (ki-ʾattah) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction כִּי + independent pronoun 2ms; Translation: “because you”; Notes: Marks a causal clause linking Israel’s downfall to the priestly failure of rejecting divine knowledge.
- הַדַּעַת (haddaʿat) – Root: ידע (y-d-ʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular with article; Translation: “the knowledge”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes deliberate rejection of revealed truth — a moral, not intellectual, failure.
- מָאַסְתָּ (maʾasta) – Root: מאס (m-ʾ-s); Form: Qal perfect 2ms; Translation: “you have rejected”; Notes: Expresses contempt or spurning of divine instruction — covenantal betrayal by the priesthood or leaders.
- וְאֶמְאָסְךָ (ve-ʾemʾoska) – Root: מאס (m-ʾ-s); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 1cs + 2ms suffix; Translation: “and I will reject you”; Notes: A reciprocal judgment — divine rejection mirroring human rejection. The parallelism intensifies poetic justice.
- מִכַּהֵן (mikkaḥen) – Root: כהן (k-h-n); Form: Preposition מִן + participle masculine singular; Translation: “from being priest”; Notes: Implies removal from sacred office — disqualification from mediating between God and people.
- לִי (li) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + first cs suffix; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Stresses personal relationship — service to YHWH Himself, not merely cultic function.
- וַתִּשְׁכַּח (vat-tishkaḥ) – Root: שׁכח (š-k-ḥ); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “and you have forgotten”; Notes: Volitional forgetfulness — moral negligence of divine revelation, especially Torah teaching.
- תֹּורַת (torat) – Root: ירה (y-r-h); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “the law of”; Notes: “Torah” means instruction or divine guidance, not merely legislation. Its neglect severs Israel’s spiritual life.
- אֱלֹהֶיךָ (ʾelohekha) – Root: אל (ʾ-l); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Covenantal address — Israel’s God in personal relationship, yet forgotten by those called to serve Him.
- אֶשְׁכַּח (ʾeshkaḥ) – Root: שׁכח (š-k-ḥ); Form: Qal imperfect 1cs; Translation: “I will forget”; Notes: Divine retribution expressed in anthropomorphic terms — YHWH’s deliberate withdrawal of favor.
- בָּנֶיךָ (banekha) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun masculine plural + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your children”; Notes: Symbolic for the next generation — the future of the priestly and national line.
- גַּם־אָֽנִי (gam-ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Adverb גַּם + independent pronoun 1cs; Translation: “even I”; Notes: Emphatic reciprocity — divine response mirrors human faithlessness: as they forget Him, so He forgets them.