רָאִ֨יתִי אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֜י נִצָּ֣ב עַֽל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הַ֨ךְ הַכַּפְתֹּ֜ור וְיִרְעֲשׁ֣וּ הַסִּפִּ֗ים וּבְצַ֨עַם֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כֻּלָּ֔ם וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖ם בַּחֶ֣רֶב אֶהֱרֹ֑ג לֹֽא־יָנ֤וּס לָהֶם֙ נָ֔ס וְלֹֽא־יִמָּלֵ֥ט לָהֶ֖ם פָּלִֽיט׃
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar, and He said, “Strike the capital so that the thresholds quake, and break them upon the head of all of them, and their end I will slay with the sword; none who flees shall flee for them, and none who escapes shall escape for them.
Morphology
- רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I saw”; Notes: Introduces Amos’s visionary experience.
- אֶת (et) – Form: Direct object marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks “the Lord” as the object seen.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural of majesty; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Divine title appearing without YHWH in this verse.
- נִצָּב (nitsav) – Root: יצב (yatsav); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “standing”; Notes: Depicts the Lord positioned in judgment.
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates location.
- הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח (zavaḥ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the altar”; Notes: Probably the idolatrous altar at Bethel.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (amar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and He said”; Notes: Introduces divine speech.
- הַךְ (hakh) – Root: נכה (nakhah); Form: Hifil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “strike”; Notes: A direct divine command to initiate destruction.
- הַכַּפְתֹּור (ha-kaftor) – Root: כפתר (kaftor); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the capital”; Notes: The topmost part of a pillar, whose collapse triggers total structural failure.
- וְיִרְעֲשׁוּ (ve-yirʿashu) – Root: רעשׁ (raʿash); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they shall quake”; Notes: Refers to the thresholds trembling from the strike.
- הַסִּפִּים (ha-sippim) – Root: ספף (safaf); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the thresholds”; Notes: Architectural supports symbolizing the collapse of the sanctuary.
- וּבְצַעַם (u-ve-tzaʿam) – Root: בצע (batsaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and break them”; Notes: Literally “and in their breaking,” referring to smashing the structural supports.
- בְּרֹאשׁ (be-rosh) – Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “upon the head of”; Notes: Specifies the location of the falling debris.
- כֻּלָּם (kullam) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Total destruction of those beneath the altar.
- וְאַחֲרִיתָם (ve-aḥaritam) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and their end”; Notes: Refers to the survivors’ destiny after the collapse.
- בַּחֶרֶב (ba-ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Indicates execution of remaining idolaters.
- אֶהֱרֹג (eherog) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will slay”; Notes: YHWH Himself executes the judgment.
- לֹא־ (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces absolute negation.
- יָנוּס (yanus) – Root: נוס (nus); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall flee”; Notes: No one who attempts to flee will succeed.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: לְ + הם; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “for them”; Notes: Refers to the condemned idolaters.
- נָס (nas) – Root: נוס (nus); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “a fugitive”; Notes: One who flees—none will successfully escape.
- וְלֹא־ (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces second negated clause.
- יִמָּלֵט (yimmalet) – Root: מלט (malat); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall escape”; Notes: Nifal indicates passive/reflexive—escape is impossible.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “for them”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- פָּלִיט (palit) – Root: פלט (palat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a survivor”; Notes: Even the one who might survive will not escape YHWH’s judgment.