וַיַּ֨עַן חַגַּ֜י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֵּ֣ן הָֽעָם־֠הַזֶּה וְכֵן־הַגֹּ֨וי הַזֶּ֤ה לְפָנַי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְכֵ֖ן כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְדֵיהֶ֑ם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יַקְרִ֛יבוּ שָׁ֖ם טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא׃
And Ḥaggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ declares YHWH, ‘and so is every work of their hands, and what they bring there—unclean it is.
Morphology
- וַיַּעַן (va-yaʿan) – Root: ענה (ʿ-n-h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “And he answered”; Notes: Introduces Ḥaggay’s evaluative response.
- חַגַּי (Ḥaggay) – Root: חגג (ḥ-g-g); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Ḥaggay”; Notes: The prophet speaking YHWH’s ruling.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Continues Ḥaggai’s prophetic statement.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן (k-n); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so / thus”; Notes: Introduces the prophetic comparison.
- הָעָם־הַזֶּה (ha-ʿam ha-zeh) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Definite noun masculine singular + demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this people”; Notes: Refers to the returned community in Yehud.
- וְכֵן־ (ve-ken) – Root: כן (k-n); Form: Conjunction וְ + adverb; Translation: “and so”; Notes: Continues the parallel judgment.
- הַגֹּוי (ha-goy) – Root: גוי (g-w-y); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the nation”; Notes: Describes the covenant community as a collective body.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Emphasizes the immediate community under rebuke.
- לְפָנַי (le-fanai) – Root: פנה (p-n-h); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “before Me”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s perspective on their condition.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם (n-ʾ-m); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + divine name; Translation: “utterance of YHWH / declares YHWH”; Notes: Formal prophetic speech formula.
- וְכֵן (ve-ken) – Root: כן (k-n); Form: Conjunction וְ + adverb; Translation: “and so”; Notes: Extends the evaluation to another aspect.
- כָּל־ (kol) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “all (of)”; Notes: Universalizes the statement.
- מַעֲשֵׂה (maʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “work (of)”; Notes: Refers to deeds or ritual acts.
- יְדֵיהֶם (yedehem) – Root: יד (y-d); Form: Noun masculine dual construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their hands”; Notes: Symbolic of actions and offerings.
- וַאֲשֶׁר (va-asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Conjunction וְ + relative particle; Translation: “and whatever / and that which”; Notes: Introduces an additional category.
- יַקְרִיבוּ (yakrivu) – Root: קרב (q-r-b); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3mp; Translation: “they bring / they offer”; Notes: Refers to sacrificial presentation.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to the sanctuary site.
- טָמֵא (tame) – Root: טמא (ṭ-m-ʾ); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “unclean”; Notes: Declares the ritual status of their offerings.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא (h-w); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Emphatic predicate: their offerings are inherently unclean.