Amos 3:10

וְלֹֽא־יָדְע֥וּ עֲשֹׂות־נְכֹחָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הָאֹֽוצְרִ֛ים חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד בְּאַרְמְנֹֽותֵיהֶֽם׃ פ

“And they do not know how to do what is right,” declares YHWH, “those who store up violence and destruction in their palaces.”

Morphology

1. וְלֹֽא־ (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Connects this verse with the previous one, emphasizing moral incapacity rather than ignorance.
2. יָדְע֥וּ (yadʿu) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “they knew” or “they know”; Notes: Indicates habitual ignorance—YHWH accuses them of moral blindness.
3. עֲשֹׂות־ (ʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Linked with the previous verb to express inability: “they do not know how to do.”
4. נְכֹחָ֖ה (nekhokhah) – Root: נכה (nakhah) / נכח (nakhach); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “what is right” or “uprightness”; Notes: Refers to moral rectitude and justice; the people’s actions contrast with righteousness.
5. נְאֻם־ (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular (used as a formula); Translation: “utterance” or “declaration”; Notes: A prophetic formula meaning “declares” or “says,” marking divine speech.
6. יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God, affirming that the judgment spoken is from divine authority.
7. הָאֹֽוצְרִ֛ים (ha-ʾotserim) – Root: אצר (ʾatsar); Form: Definite article הַ + Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “those who store up”; Notes: Describes ongoing accumulation; conveys greed and corruption among the powerful.
8. חָמָ֥ס (ḥamas) – Root: חמס (ḥamas); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “violence”; Notes: Refers to unjust gain and oppression, frequently associated with social injustice in prophetic literature.
9. וָשֹׁ֖ד (va-shod) – Root: שׁדד (shadad); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and destruction”; Notes: Paired with “violence” to emphasize total moral decay—both active cruelty and its devastating results.
10. בְּאַרְמְנֹֽותֵיהֶֽם׃ (be-armnoteihem) – Root: ארמן (ʾarman); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “in their palaces”; Notes: Indicates the locus of corruption—oppression and violence stored up in the very centers of wealth and power.