שִׂימוּ־נָ֣א לְבַבְכֶ֔ם מִן־הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה וָמָ֑עְלָה מִיֹּום֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְאַרְבָּעָ֜ה לַתְּשִׁיעִ֗י לְמִן־הַיֹּ֛ום אֲשֶׁר־יֻסַּ֥ד הֵֽיכַל־יְהוָ֖ה שִׂ֥ימוּ לְבַבְכֶֽם׃
‘Set now your heart from this day and upward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the temple of YHWH was founded, set your heart.
Morphology
- שִׂימוּ־ (simu) – Root: שׂים (ś-y-m); Form: Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “set”; Notes: Command addressed to the whole community.
- נָא (na) – Root: נא (n-ʾ); Form: Particle of entreaty; Translation: “now / please”; Notes: Adds urgency and appeal.
- לְבַבְכֶם (le-vavkhem) – Root: לבב (l-v-v); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct + 2mp suffix; Translation: “your heart”; Notes: Refers to inner attentiveness.
- מִן־ (min) – Root: מן (m-n); Form: Preposition מִן; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks a temporal starting point.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Indicates the moment of prophetic emphasis.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (z-h); Form: Demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Highlights the present date.
- וָמָעְלָה (va-maʿlah) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Form: Conjunction וְ + adverb; Translation: “and upward / onward”; Notes: Means “from this day forward.”
- מִיֹּום (mi-yom) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the day”; Notes: Introduces a more specific date.
- עֶשְׂרִים (ʿesrim) – Root: עשר (ʿ-sh-r); Form: Numeral masculine plural; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: First part of the date.
- וְאַרְבָּעָה (ve-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע (ʾ-r-b-ʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + numeral masculine singular; Translation: “and four”; Notes: Completes “twenty-four.”
- לַתְּשִׁיעִי (la-teshiʿi) – Root: תשע (t-sh-ʿ); Form: Preposition לְ + ordinal masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “of the ninth”; Notes: Refers to the ninth month (Kislev).
- לְמִן־ (le-min) – Root: מן (m-n); Form: Preposition לְ + preposition מִן; Translation: “from”; Notes: Reinforces the beginning point emphatically.
- הַיֹּום (ha-yom) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the day”; Notes: Restates the temporal anchor.
- אֲשֶׁר־ (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾ-sh-r); Form: Relative particle; Translation: “which / when”; Notes: Introduces a defining clause.
- יֻסַּד (yussad) – Root: יסד (y-s-d); Form: Pual perfect 3ms; Translation: “was founded”; Notes: Refers to the laying of the temple foundation.
- הֵיכַל־ (heikhal) – Root: היכל (h-y-k-l); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “temple (of)”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s sanctuary.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (h-w-h); Form: Divine proper name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of Israel’s God.
- שִׂימוּ (simu) – Root: שׂים (ś-y-m); Form: Qal imperative 2mp; Translation: “set”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the exhortation.
- לְבַבְכֶם (le-vavkhem) – Root: לבב (l-v-v); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct + 2mp suffix; Translation: “your heart”; Notes: Closing echo of the original command.