כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־מִכְרָ֤ם בַּכֶּ֨סֶף֙ צַדִּ֔יק וְאֶבְיֹ֖ון בַּעֲב֥וּר נַעֲלָֽיִם׃
Thus says YHWH: “For three transgressions of Yisraʾel, and for four, I will not turn it back, because they sold the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.
Morphology
- כֹּ֚ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Typical prophetic opening introducing a divine oracle.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Signals the authoritative speech of YHWH.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel, used in judicial declarations.
- עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ (ʿal-sheloshah) – Root: שלשׁ; Form: Preposition עַל + cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “for three”; Notes: Part of the idiomatic expression “for three and for four,” denoting repeated or overflowing guilt.
- פִּשְׁעֵ֣י (pishʿei) – Root: פשע; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “transgressions of”; Notes: Refers to willful acts of rebellion or injustice.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The northern kingdom, distinct from Yehudah, judged for social injustice.
- וְעַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה (ve-ʿal-arbaʿah) – Root: ארבע; Form: Conjunction + preposition עַל + cardinal number masculine singular; Translation: “and for four”; Notes: Completes the idiomatic expression, emphasizing the fullness of transgression.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation — YHWH will not revoke His judgment.
- אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ (ʾashivennu) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Hiphil imperfect 1st person singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “I will not turn it back”; Notes: Indicates the irreversible nature of the impending punishment.
- עַל־מִכְרָ֤ם (ʿal-mikhram) – Root: מכר; Form: Preposition עַל + noun masculine singular construct with 3mp suffix; Translation: “because they sold”; Notes: Refers to exploitation and corruption — selling justice or people for profit.
- בַּכֶּ֨סֶף֙ (ba-kesef) – Root: כסף; Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for silver”; Notes: Represents monetary greed and moral decay.
- צַדִּ֔יק (tsaddiq) – Root: צדק; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the righteous”; Notes: Describes an innocent person wrongfully sold or condemned for gain.
- וְאֶבְיֹ֖ון (ve-ʾevyon) – Root: אביון; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the needy”; Notes: Represents the poor and powerless — a frequent object of prophetic concern for social justice.
- בַּעֲב֥וּר (baʿavur) – Root: עבר; Form: Preposition; Translation: “for” or “in exchange for”; Notes: Denotes a transactional motive — selling for a trivial reward.
- נַעֲלָֽיִם׃ (naʿalayim) – Root: נעל; Form: Noun dual absolute; Translation: “a pair of sandals”; Notes: Symbolizes how cheaply justice was sold — the righteous were valued no higher than mere footwear.