הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טֹּ֑וב וּמָֽה־יְהוָ֞ה דֹּורֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשֹׂ֤ות מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
He has told you, O man, what is good, and what YHWH seeks from you: only to do justice, and to love ḥesed, and to walk humbly with your God.
Morphology
- הִגִּיד (higgid) — Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hifil perfect 3ms; Translation: “He has told”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s prior, clear revelation.
- לְךָ (le-kha) — Root: לך (lekh); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2ms; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct address to the human recipient.
- אָדָם (adam) — Root: אדם (adam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “man / human”; Notes: A generalizing address to humanity.
- מַה (mah) — Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces the revealed content.
- טּוֹב (tov) — Root: טוב (tov); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “good”; Notes: Refers to morally right conduct.
- וּמָה (u-mah) — Root: מה (mah); Form: Conjunction וְ + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “and what”; Notes: Introduces a parallel question.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) — Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The one who seeks righteous conduct.
- דֹּורֵשׁ (doresh) — Root: דרשׁ (darash); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “seeks”; Notes: Indicates ongoing divine expectation.
- מִמְּךָ (mimmekha) — Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition מִן + suffix 2ms (with assimilation); Translation: “from you”; Notes: Marks the source of required action.
- כִּי (ki) — Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for / but”; Notes: Introduces the content of what YHWH requires.
- אִם (’im) — Root: אם (’im); Form: Particle; Translation: “only”; Notes: Restrictive particle emphasizing simplicity and clarity.
- עֲשׂוֹת (ʿasot) — Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to do”; Notes: First of the three required covenant actions.
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) — Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “justice”; Notes: Refers to proper judgment and fairness.
- וְאַהֲבַת (ve-ahavat) — Root: אהב (’ahav); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “and the love of”; Notes: Introduces the second required action.
- חֶסֶד (ḥesed) — Root: חסד (ḥesed); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “ḥesed (loyal covenantal kindness)”; Notes: A central virtue of covenant faithfulness.
- וְהַצְנֵעַ (ve-hatsneʿa) — Root: צנע (tsanaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hifil infinitive absolute; Translation: “and to walk humbly”; Notes: Intensifies the manner of life required.
- לֶכֶת (lekhet) — Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to walk”; Notes: Idiom for one’s conduct or way of life.
- עִם (ʿim) — Root: עם (ʿim); Form: Preposition; Translation: “with”; Notes: Expresses relational closeness.
- אֱלֹהֶיךָ (’elohekha) — Root: אלוה (’eloah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2ms; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Personal covenant relationship emphasized.