Amos 7:12

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲמַצְיָה֙ אֶל־עָמֹ֔וס חֹזֶ֕ה לֵ֥ךְ בְּרַח־לְךָ֖ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֑ה וֶאֱכָל־שָׁ֣ם לֶ֔חֶם וְשָׁ֖ם תִּנָּבֵֽא׃

And Amatsya said to ʿAmos, “Seer, go, flee yourself to the land of Yehuda, and there eat bread, and there prophesy.

Morphology

1. וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Marks direct speech—Amatsyah addressing the prophet Amos.
2. אֲמַצְיָה (ʾAmatsyah) – Root: אמץ (ʾamats); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Amatsyah”; Notes: The priest of Beit-El who opposes Amos’s prophetic message.
3. אֶל־עָמֹוס (el-ʿAmos) – Root: עמס (ʿamas); Form: Preposition אֶל + proper noun; Translation: “to ʿAmos”; Notes: Denotes the addressee of Amatsyah’s command.
4. חֹזֶה (ḥozeh) – Root: חזה (ḥazah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “seer”; Notes: A title for a prophet emphasizing visionary revelation.
5. לֵךְ (lekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “go”; Notes: A direct command ordering Amos to leave the northern kingdom.
6. בְּרַח־לְךָ (beraḥ-lekha) – Root: ברח (baraḥ); Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal imperative masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “flee yourself”; Notes: An emphatic command implying urgency and self-preservation—“escape for your own sake.”
7. אֶל־אֶרֶץ (el-erets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the land of”; Notes: Specifies direction—Amatsyah orders Amos to return south to his homeland.
8. יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: ידה (yadah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom where Amos originated from Tekoa.
9. וֶאֱכָל (ve-ekhal) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and eat”; Notes: Possibly sarcastic—implies making a living as a professional prophet in Judah.
10. שָׁם (sham) – Root: —; Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Repetition underscores Amatsyah’s emphasis on leaving Israel’s territory.
11. לֶחֶם (leḥem) – Root: לחם (laḥem); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Metaphor for sustenance or livelihood—Amatsyah suggests Amos should earn his living elsewhere.
12. וְשָׁם (ve-sham) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + adverb of place; Translation: “and there”; Notes: Continues the command’s sequence—Amatsyah insists Amos prophesy only in Judah.
13. תִּנָּבֵא (tinave) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Nifal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “prophesy”; Notes: Nifal here has a reflexive nuance—“act as a prophet.” The command is dismissive, implying Amos’s prophecy is unwelcome in Yisraʾel.