פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּ֠כֶם אִ֣ישׁ אֹו־אִשָּׁ֞ה אֹ֧ו מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה אֹו־שֵׁ֗בֶט אֲשֶׁר֩ לְבָבֹ֨ו פֹנֶ֤ה הַיֹּום֙ מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ לָלֶ֣כֶת לַעֲבֹ֔ד אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַגֹּויִ֣ם הָהֵ֑ם פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּכֶ֗ם שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ פֹּרֶ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְלַעֲנָֽה׃
Lest there be among you a man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turns away today from YHWH our God to go and serve the gods of those nations, lest there be among you a root bearing poison and wormwood.
Morphology
- פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ (pen-yesh) – Root: ישׁ (y-sh); Form: Conjunction + existential particle; Translation: “Lest there be”; Notes: Introduces a warning or negative possibility.
- בָּ֠כֶם (bakhem) – Root: ב (b) + אתם (ʾ-t-m); Form: Preposition “in” + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “among you”; Notes: Refers to the community of Israel.
- אִ֣ישׁ אֹו־אִשָּׁ֞ה (ish o-ishah) – Root: אישׁ (ʾ-y-sh), אשה (ʾ-sh-h); Form: Masculine and feminine singular nouns; Translation: “a man or a woman”; Notes: Specifies individual people.
- אֹ֧ו מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה אֹו־שֵׁ֗בֶט (o-mishpaḥah o-shevet) – Root: משׁפחה (m-sh-p-ḥ), שׁבט (sh-b-t); Form: Feminine singular noun “family” and masculine singular noun “tribe”; Translation: “or family or tribe”; Notes: Expands from individuals to larger groups.
- אֲשֶׁר֩ לְבָבֹ֨ו פֹנֶ֤ה (asher-levavo poneh) – Root: לבב (l-v-v), פנה (p-n-h); Form: Relative pronoun + masculine singular noun “heart” + Qal participle masculine singular “turning”; Translation: “whose heart turns”; Notes: Describes the inward inclination leading to idolatry.
- הַיֹּום֙ (hayom) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Form: Definite article + masculine singular noun; Translation: “today”; Notes: Emphasizes immediacy.
- מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ (me’im YHWH Eloheinu) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition “from with” + divine name YHWH + noun “our God”; Translation: “from YHWH our God”; Notes: Expresses separation from God.
- לָלֶ֣כֶת לַעֲבֹ֔ד (laleḵet laʿavod) – Root: הלך (h-l-k), עבד (ʿ-v-d); Form: Infinitives construct with prepositions; Translation: “to go and serve”; Notes: Describes the action of following false gods.
- אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַגֹּויִ֣ם הָהֵ֑ם (et-Elohei hagoyim hahem) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h), גוי (g-w-y); Form: Direct object marker + plural noun “gods” in construct + definite article + plural noun “nations”; Translation: “the gods of those nations”; Notes: Specifies the objects of false worship.
- פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּכֶ֗ם (pen-yesh bakhem) – Root: Repetition of warning “lest there be among you.”
- שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ פֹּרֶ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְלַעֲנָֽה (shoresh poreh rosh velaʿanah) – Root: שרש (sh-r-sh), פרה (p-r-h), ראשׁ (r-ʾ-sh), לענה (l-ʿ-n-h); Form: Masculine singular noun “root” + participle “bearing” + nouns “poison” and “wormwood”; Translation: “a root bearing poison and wormwood”; Notes: Symbolic of corruption and bitterness spreading within the community.