וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י זֹ֚את הָֽאָלָ֔ה הַיֹּוצֵ֖את עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י כָל־הַגֹּנֵ֗ב מִזֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֣והָ נִקָּ֔ה וְכָל־הַנִּ֨שְׁבָּ֔ע מִזֶּ֖ה כָּמֹ֥והָ נִקָּֽה׃
And he said to me “This is the curse going out over the face of all the land for everyone who steals from here like it is cleared and everyone who swears from here like it is cleared.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Continues the prophetic dialogue.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates speech directed to the prophet.
- זֹאת (zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Introduces the referent of the vision.
- הָאָלָה (ha-ʾalah) – Root: אלה (ʾalah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the curse”; Notes: Refers to an oath-curse invoked in judgment.
- הַיֹּוצֵאת (ha-yotset) – Root: יצא (yatsaʾ); Form: Definite Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “that is going out”; Notes: Describes the active movement of the curse.
- עַל־פְּנֵי (ʿal-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “over the face of”; Notes: idiomatic expression meaning “across.”
- כָל־הָאָרֶץ (kol-ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular with prefixed כל־; Translation: “all the land”; Notes: Indicates universal scope of judgment.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the rationale for the curse.
- כָל־הַגֹּנֵב (kol-ha-gonev) – Root: גנב (ganav); Form: Noun phrase: כל־ + definite Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “everyone who steals”; Notes: Refers to habitual or characteristic action.
- מִזֶּה (mi-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Preposition מִן + demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “from here”; Notes: Marks the source or point of reference.
- כָּמֹוהָ (kamohah) – Root: כמו (kemo); Form: Preposition + 3fs suffix; Translation: “like it”; Notes: Compares the offender to the curse in outcome.
- נִקָּה (niqqah) – Root: נקי (naqah); Form: Niphal perfect 3ms; Translation: “is cleared / acquitted”; Notes: Used ironically; implies being “cleared” for punishment.
- וְכָל־הַנִּשְׁבָּע (ve-kol-ha-nishbaʿ) – Root: שׁבע (shavaʿ); Form: Conjunction + כל־ + Niphal participle masculine singular with article; Translation: “and everyone who swears”; Notes: Refers to false or improper oath-taking.
- מִזֶּה (mi-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Preposition מִן + demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “from here”; Notes: Parallels earlier phrase for structural symmetry.
- כָּמֹוהָ (kamohah) – Root: כמו (kemo); Form: Preposition + suffix 3fs; Translation: “like it”; Notes: Again compares offender to curse’s fate.
- נִקָּה (niqqah) – Root: נקי (naqah); Form: Niphal perfect 3ms; Translation: “is cleared”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the decree’s binding nature.