הַעֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אַתֶּ֔ם לָשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֣ם סְפוּנִ֑ים וְהַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה חָרֵֽב׃
“Is it the time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house is in ruins?”
Morphology
- הַעֵת (ha-ʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the time”; Notes: Introduces the rhetorical question contrasting their priorities with YHWH’s house.
- לָכֶם (la-khem) – Root: לכם (lakhem); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2mp; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Directly challenges the people’s self-interest.
- אַתֶּם (attem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “you yourselves”; Notes: Emphatic placement underscores their self-focus.
- לָשֶׁבֶת (la-shevet) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to dwell”; Notes: Refers to their comfortable living arrangements.
- בְּבָתֵּיכֶם (be-vatteykhem) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 2mp; Translation: “in your houses”; Notes: Contrasts their homes with the desolate Temple.
- סְפוּנִים (sefunim) – Root: ספן (safan); Form: Participle Pual masculine plural; Translation: “paneled / adorned”; Notes: Indicates luxury or elaborate interior paneling.
- וְהַבַּיִת (ve-ha-bayit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Conjunction + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the house”; Notes: Refers specifically to the Temple.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Emphasizes the present neglected state of the Temple.
- חָרֵב (ḥarev) – Root: חרב (ḥarav); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “ruined / desolate”; Notes: Describes the Temple’s devastation and neglect.