אָר֗וּר מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָתֹ֖ום וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃ ס
‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Morphology
- אָר֗וּר (arur) – Root: ארר (ʾarar); Form: Qal passive participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Cursed”; Notes: Declares a curse on the person who commits the following injustice.
- מַטֶּ֛ה (matteh) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Hifil participle, masculine singular; Translation: “who perverts”; Notes: Refers to bending or twisting justice from its rightful course.
- מִשְׁפַּ֥ט (mishpat) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “justice”; Notes: Refers to legal rights or judgments.
- גֵּר־יָתֹ֖ום (ger-yatom) – Root: גור (gur), יתם (yatom); Form: Noun construct chain; Translation: “of the stranger and the fatherless”; Notes: Refers to vulnerable groups within society.
- וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה (ve-almanah) – Root: אלמן (ʾalman); Form: Conjunction with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “and the widow”; Notes: Adds widows to the list of those whose justice is protected.
- וְאָמַ֥ר (ve-ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And shall say”; Notes: Refers to the communal affirmation.
- כָל־הָעָ֖ם (kol-ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “all the people”; Notes: Represents the entire assembly affirming the curse.
- אָמֵֽן׃ (amen) – Root: אמן (ʾaman); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Amen”; Notes: Expression of agreement and affirmation.
- ס (samekh) – Form: Paragraph division symbol in the Masoretic text; Notes: Indicates a pause or section break.