Amos 4:6

וְגַם־אֲנִי֩ נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם נִקְיֹ֤ון שִׁנַּ֨יִם֙ בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיכֶ֔ם וְחֹ֣סֶר לֶ֔חֶם בְּכֹ֖ל מְקֹומֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

“And I also gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places; yet you did not return to Me,” declares YHWH.

Morphology

1. וְגַם־ (ve-gam) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + adverb; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Adds emphasis—YHWH Himself brought successive judgments.
2. אֲנִי֩ (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Stresses the divine subject—YHWH personally enacts the punishment.
3. נָתַ֨תִּי (natatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I gave”; Notes: Indicates a completed act of divine discipline—YHWH is the direct giver of deprivation.
4. לָכֶ֜ם (lakhem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks the recipients of the divine action—the people of Yisraʾel.
5. נִקְיֹ֤ון (niqyon) – Root: נקה (naqah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “cleanness”; Notes: A metaphor for famine—“clean teeth” because of having no food to eat.
6. שִׁנַּ֨יִם֙ (shinnayim) – Root: שׁן (shen); Form: Noun feminine dual; Translation: “of teeth”; Notes: Dual form indicates a pair; figurative expression for hunger or lack of sustenance.
7. בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיכֶ֔ם (be-khol-ʿareikhem) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural construct + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “in all your cities”; Notes: Indicates the widespread nature of the famine throughout Yisraʾel’s towns.
8. וְחֹ֣סֶר (ve-ḥoser) – Root: חסר (ḥasar); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and lack”; Notes: Parallels “cleanness of teeth”—refers to scarcity or deficiency of necessities.
9. לֶ֔חֶם (leḥem) – Root: לחם (laḥem); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Represents food or basic sustenance—metonym for survival resources.
10. בְּכֹ֖ל (be-khol) – Root: —; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in all”; Notes: Introduces the next phrase describing the totality of affected areas.
11. מְקֹומֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם (mekomotekhem) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “your places”; Notes: Denotes all inhabited regions of the people—no area spared from famine.
12. וְלֹֽא־ (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Connects a contrast between punishment and the people’s failure to repent.
13. שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם (shavtem) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you returned”; Notes: Common prophetic term for repentance or turning back to YHWH.
14. עָדַ֖י (ʿaday) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition עַד + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Indicates direction of repentance—toward YHWH, the source of the chastisement.
15. נְאֻם־ (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular (prophetic formula); Translation: “declares”; Notes: Marks divine authority over the entire pronouncement.
16. יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of Israel’s God, signifying the source of both judgment and mercy.