וְאָ֣מְר֔וּ עַ֚ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽזְב֔וּ אֶת־בְּרִ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ כָּרַ֣ת עִמָּ֔ם בְּהֹוצִיאֹ֥ו אֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of YHWH, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim.
Morphology
- וְאָ֣מְר֔וּ (ve-ʾameru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Conjunction “and” + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “And they will say”; Notes: Refers to the nations explaining the cause of Israel’s downfall.
- עַ֚ל (ʿal) – Root: Preposition; Form: Preposition; Translation: “Because of”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the judgment.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the reason for their abandonment.
- עָֽזְב֔וּ (ʿazvu) – Root: עזב (ʿ-z-v); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “they abandoned”; Notes: Describes the people’s turning away from YHWH.
- אֶת־בְּרִ֥ית (ʾet-berit) – Root: ברית (b-r-y-t); Form: Definite direct object marker + feminine singular noun; Translation: “the covenant”; Notes: Refers to the binding agreement between YHWH and Israel.
- יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, signifying the God of Israel.
- אֱלֹהֵ֣י (ʾelohei) – Root: אֱלֹהִים (ʾ-l-h); Form: Construct form masculine plural; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Refers to the deity of their ancestors.
- אֲבֹתָ֑ם (avotam) – Root: אָב (ʾ-v); Form: Masculine plural noun with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “their fathers”; Notes: Refers to the patriarchs of Israel.
- אֲשֶׁ֙ר (ʾasher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects the action of covenant-making to YHWH.
- כָּרַ֣ת (karat) – Root: כרה (k-r-t); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He made”; Notes: Refers to the act of establishing a covenant.
- עִמָּ֔ם (ʿimmam) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Preposition “with” + 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “with them”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- בְּהֹוצִיאֹ֥ו (be-hotziʾo) – Root: יצא (y-ts-ʾ); Form: Preposition “in/when” + Hiphil infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “when He brought them out”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s deliverance from Mitsrayim.
- אֹתָ֖ם (otam) – Root: Definite direct object marker; Form: Masculine plural pronoun; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the Israelites.
- מֵאֶ֥רֶץ (me-eretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ts); Form: Preposition “from” + feminine singular noun; Translation: “from the land”; Notes: Refers to Mitsrayim.
- מִצְרָֽיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Feminine dual noun; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: The Hebrew name for Egypt.