וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמֹ֔וס וָאֹמַ֖ר כְּל֣וּב קָ֑יִץ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י בָּ֤א הַקֵּץ֙ אֶל־עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹא־אֹוסִ֥יף עֹ֖וד עֲבֹ֥ור לֹֽו׃
And He said, “What do you see, ʿAmos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” And YHWH said to me, “The end has come upon My people Yisraʾel; I will not again pass over him anymore.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: A narrative verb introducing divine or prophetic speech.
- מָה (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What”; Notes: Introduces a direct question from YHWH to the prophet.
- אַתָּה (attah) – Root: אתה (attah); Form: Independent personal pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to the prophet ʿAmos, functioning as the subject of the verb “see.”
- רֹאֶה (roʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “see”; Notes: Expresses ongoing perception; part of the interrogative clause “What do you see?”
- עָמֹוס (ʿAmos) – Root: עמס (ʿamas); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “ʿAmos”; Notes: The name of the prophet; the object of divine revelation.
- וָאֹמַר (va-omar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 1st person singular; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: Marks the prophet’s immediate response to YHWH’s inquiry.
- כְּלוּב (keluv) – Root: כלב (klv, denom.); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a basket”; Notes: Refers to a woven container, symbolic of gathering or completion.
- קָיִץ (qayits) – Root: קיץ (qayits); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “summer fruit”; Notes: Phonetically links with קֵץ (“end”), creating prophetic wordplay about Yisraʾel’s impending fate.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Introduces the second divine response following ʿAmos’s answer.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God, revealing His direct speech to the prophet.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates direction of speech toward ʿAmos.
- בָּא (ba) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has come”; Notes: Describes completed action—judgment has arrived.
- הַקֵּץ (ha-qets) – Root: קץ (qets); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the end”; Notes: Plays on the earlier word “qayits,” symbolizing the termination of YHWH’s patience.
- אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon/to”; Notes: Marks direction or recipient of the event.
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s covenantal relationship with Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרי (sarah) + אל (ʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers collectively to the northern kingdom, target of the prophecy.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies future action—emphasizing YHWH’s final decision.
- אֹוסִיף (ʾosif) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will again”; Notes: Denotes continuation or repetition, here negated by לֹא to indicate cessation.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Reinforces the idea of no further opportunity for reprieve.
- עֲבֹור (ʿavor) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to pass over”; Notes: Figuratively refers to sparing or overlooking sin; YHWH declares He will no longer do so.
- לֹו (lo) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel as the object of YHWH’s ceased mercy.