הֲיִקְבַּ֨ע אָדָ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ קֹבְעִ֣ים אֹתִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה קְבַעֲנ֑וּךָ הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֖ר וְהַתְּרוּמָֽה׃
Will a man rob God? For you are robbing Me. And you say, ‘In what have we robbed You?’ The tithe and the contribution.
Morphology
- הֲיִקְבַּע (ha-yiqbaʿ) – Root: קבע (qavaʿ); Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Will … rob?”; Notes: Rhetorical question introducing accusation.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Generic human subject.
- אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) – Root: אלה (ʾelah); Form: Noun masculine plural with singular reference; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the God of Yisraʾel.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- אַתֶּם (attem) – Root: —; Form: Independent personal pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphatic subject.
- קֹבְעִים (qoveʿim) – Root: קבע (qavaʿ); Form: Qal active participle masculine plural; Translation: “robbing”; Notes: Ongoing action.
- אֹתִי (ʾoti) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker אֵת + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “Me”; Notes: Marks God as object of offense.
- וַאֲמַרְתֶּם (va-ʾamartem) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “And you say”; Notes: Response formula.
- בַּמֶּה (ba-meh) – Root: מה; Form: Preposition בְּ + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “In what”; Notes: Questions the charge.
- קְבַעֲנוּךָ (qevaʿanukha) – Root: קבע (qavaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common plural + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “have we robbed You”; Notes: Direct admission framed as question.
- הַמַּעֲשֵׂר (ha-maʿaser) – Root: עשׂר (ʿasar); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the tithe”; Notes: One tenth portion dedicated to YHWH.
- וְהַתְּרוּמָה (ve-ha-terumah) – Root: רום (rum); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the contribution”; Notes: Sacred offering set apart for holy use.