לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֹ֨ן אָבֹ֧ות עַל־בָּנִ֛ים וְעַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, YHWH your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.
Morphology
- לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣ה (lo-tishtachaveh) – Root: חוה (ḥavah); Form: Negative particle with Hithpael imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You shall not bow down”; Notes: Prohibits acts of worship or submission.
- לָהֶ֖ם (lahem) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to idols or graven images.
- וְלֹ֣א (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction with negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues the prohibition.
- תָעָבְדֵ֑ם (taʿovdem) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “serve them”; Notes: Refers to acts of worship or servitude.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the command.
- אָנֹכִ֞י (anokhi) – Root: אנכ (ʾanokh); Form: Pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
- יְהוָ֤ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hwh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
- אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ (Elohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾeloh); Form: Noun, masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the personal deity of Israel.
- אֵ֣ל (El) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the Almighty.
- קַנָּ֔א (qanna) – Root: קנא (qana); Form: Adjective, masculine singular; Translation: “jealous”; Notes: Describes God’s zealousness for exclusive worship.
- פֹּ֠קֵד (poqed) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “visiting”; Notes: Refers to God’s act of holding accountable.
- עֲוֹ֨ן (ʿavon) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “iniquity”; Notes: Refers to sin or guilt.
- אָבֹ֧ות (avot) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “of the fathers”; Notes: Refers to ancestral sin.
- עַל־בָּנִ֛ים (ʿal-banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Preposition with noun, masculine plural; Translation: “on the children”; Notes: Refers to generational accountability.
- וְעַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים (ve-ʿal-shilleshim) – Root: שלש (shalash); Form: Conjunction with preposition and noun, masculine plural; Translation: “and to the third generations”; Notes: Refers to the extended family.
- וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים (ve-ʿal-rivʿim) – Root: רבע (ravaʿ); Form: Conjunction with preposition and noun, masculine plural; Translation: “and to the fourth generations”; Notes: Indicates continued generational impact.
- לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י (le-sonʾai) – Root: שנא (sana); Form: Preposition with Qal participle masculine plural construct and 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “of those who hate Me”; Notes: Refers to those opposing or rejecting YHWH.