הֶעְמִֽיקוּ־שִׁחֵ֖תוּ כִּימֵ֣י הַגִּבְעָ֑ה יִזְכֹּ֣ור עֲוֹנָ֔ם יִפְקֹ֖וד חַטֹּאותָֽם׃ ס
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of the Giveʿa; He will remember their iniquity, He will punish their sins.
Morphology
- הֶעְמִיקוּ (heʿmiku) – Root: עמק (ʿamaq); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have deeply”; Notes: Expresses intensification — to act deeply, here in moral corruption or depravity.
- שִׁחֵתוּ (shiḥetu) – Root: שׁחת (shaḥat); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have corrupted themselves”; Notes: Indicates deliberate moral ruin — willful perversion of righteousness.
- כִּימֵי (ki-yemei) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “as the days of”; Notes: Draws a historical comparison — to the infamous sin of Givʿah in Judges 19–20.
- הַגִּבְעָה (ha-givʿah) – Root: גבע (givʿah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the Gibʿah”; Notes: Refers to the city of Gibeah, site of grave moral corruption in Israel’s history.
- יִזְכֹּור (yizkor) – Root: זכר (zakhar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He will remember”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s remembering in the sense of taking action to judge or avenge.
- עֲוֹנָם (ʿavonam) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their iniquity”; Notes: Denotes guilt, moral distortion, or culpable wrongdoing deserving punishment.
- יִפְקֹוד (yifqod) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He will punish”; Notes: Can also mean “to visit” or “to call to account” — YHWH’s judicial reckoning upon sinners.
- חַטֹּאותָם (ḥattoʾtam) – Root: חטא (ḥaṭaʾ); Form: Noun feminine plural + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their sins”; Notes: Refers to acts of rebellion or offenses against divine law.