וְאַֽל־תִּדְרְשׁוּ֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וְהַגִּלְגָּל֙ לֹ֣א תָבֹ֔אוּ וּבְאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֖בַע לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֑רוּ כִּ֤י הַגִּלְגָּל֙ גָּלֹ֣ה יִגְלֶ֔ה וּבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל יִהְיֶ֥ה לְאָֽוֶן׃
And do not seek Beit-el, nor come to the Gilgal, nor pass over to Beʾer Sheva; for the Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Beit-el shall come to nothingness.
Morphology
- וְאַל (veʾal) – Root: אל (ʾal); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle of prohibition; Translation: “and do not”; Notes: Introduces a negative command.
- תִּדְרְשׁוּ (tidreshu) – Root: דרשׁ (darash); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural (used as jussive); Translation: “seek”; Notes: Prohibition against worshiping or consulting Beit-El.
- בֵּית־אֵל (Beit-El) – Root: בית (bayit) + אל (ʾel); Form: Proper noun in construct; Translation: “Beit-El”; Notes: Shrine city in the northern kingdom associated with idolatrous worship.
- וְהַגִּלְגָּל (ve-ha-gilgal) – Root: גלגל (gilgal); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the Gilgal”; Notes: Site of cultic worship condemned by the prophets.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb “come.”
- תָבֹאוּ (tavoʾu) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “come”; Notes: Prohibits entering Gilgal’s cultic grounds.
- וּבְאֵר (u-veʾer) – Root: באר (beʾer); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and to Be’er”; Notes: Introduces the third location in the warning sequence.
- שֶׁבַע (shevaʿ) – Root: שׁבע (shevaʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “Sheva”; Notes: Part of the place name Be’er-Sheva, a historic worship site in the south.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb “pass over.”
- תַעֲבֹרוּ (taʿavoru) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “pass over”; Notes: Refers to crossing into or visiting Be’er-Sheva, another idolatrous center.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the preceding prohibitions.
- הַגִּלְגָּל (ha-gilgal) – Root: גלגל (gilgal); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the Gilgal”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis in the prophetic declaration of judgment.
- גָּלֹה (galoh) – Root: גלה (galah); Form: Infinitive absolute Qal; Translation: “surely going into exile”; Notes: The infinitive absolute intensifies the verb “shall go into exile.”
- יִגְלֶה (yigleh) – Root: גלה (galah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall go into exile”; Notes: Predicts Gilgal’s deportation or destruction.
- וּבֵית־אֵל (u-beit-El) – Root: בית (bayit) + אל (ʾel); Form: Conjunction וְ + proper noun in construct; Translation: “and Beit-El”; Notes: Parallel with Gilgal; site of idolatrous worship condemned by Amos.
- יִהְיֶה (yihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Indicates transformation or destiny of Beit-El.
- לְאָוֶן (le-ʾaven) – Root: און (ʾaven); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to nothingness” or “to iniquity”; Notes: Wordplay contrasting Beit-El (“House of God”) with Beit-Aven (“House of Wickedness”).