Amos 8:6

לִקְנֹ֤ות בַּכֶּ֨סֶף֙ דַּלִּ֔ים וְאֶבְיֹ֖ון בַּעֲב֣וּר נַעֲלָ֑יִם וּמַפַּ֥ל בַּ֖ר נַשְׁבִּֽיר׃

To buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and the refuse of the grain we will sell.

Morphology

1. לִקְנֹות (liqnot) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to buy”; Notes: Expresses purpose or intent—depicting exploitation through commerce.
2. בַּכֶּסֶף (ba-kesef) – Root: כסף (kesef); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for silver”; Notes: Indicates the means of purchase; silver symbolizes economic power and corruption.
3. דַּלִּים (dallim) – Root: דלל (dalal); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “the poor”; Notes: Refers to those of low status or meager resources, victims of social injustice.
4. וְאֶבְיֹון (ve-ʾevyon) – Root: אבה (ʾavah, meaning “to want”); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the needy”; Notes: Represents those dependent and destitute, often parallel with “the poor.”
5. בַּעֲבוּר (baʿavur) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “for” or “in exchange for”; Notes: Indicates price or compensation for which the needy are sold.
6. נַעֲלָיִם (naʿalayim) – Root: נעל (naʿal); Form: Noun masculine dual; Translation: “a pair of sandals”; Notes: The dual form highlights the trivial value—people sold for something as small as footwear.
7. וּמַפַּל (u-mapal) – Root: נפל (nafal); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the refuse”; Notes: Refers to the leftover or sweepings of grain, symbolizing exploitation of even worthless remnants for profit.
8. בַּר (bar) – Root: בר (bar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “grain”; Notes: Refers to clean, threshed grain—contrasted with “refuse”; the merchants sell even the sweepings as food.
9. נַשְׁבִּיר (nashbir) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we will sell”; Notes: Expresses the merchants’ greedy determination to sell everything for gain, even what is unfit for consumption.