כִּֽי־אִם־כֹּ֤ה תַעֲשׂוּ֙ לָהֶ֔ם מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם תִּתֹּ֔צוּ וּמַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם תְּשַׁבֵּ֑רוּ וַאֲשֵֽׁירֵהֶם֙ תְּגַדֵּע֔וּן וּפְסִילֵיהֶ֖ם תִּשְׂרְפ֥וּן בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
But thus you shall deal with them: their altars you shall tear down, their pillars you shall break, their Asherim you shall cut down, and their graven images you shall burn with fire.
Morphology
- כִּֽי־אִם (ki-im) – Root: אם (im); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “But if”; Notes: Introduces a condition or contrast.
- כֹּ֤ה (ko) – Root: כה (ko); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Indicates the manner of action.
- תַעֲשׂוּ֙ (taʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall do”; Notes: Refers to the commanded action.
- לָהֶ֔ם (lahem) – Root: ל (l); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the target of the action.
- מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם (mizbḥoteihem) – Root: מזבח (mizbeḥ); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their altars”; Notes: Refers to places of sacrifice.
- תִּתֹּ֔צוּ (titotsu) – Root: נתץ (natats); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall tear down”; Notes: Refers to destroying structures.
- וּמַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם (u-matseivotam) – Root: מצבה (matsevah); Form: Conjunction with noun, feminine plural construct and 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their pillars”; Notes: Refers to standing stones used in worship.
- תְּשַׁבֵּ֑רוּ (teshaberu) – Root: שבר (shavar); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall break”; Notes: Emphasizes breaking into pieces.
- וַאֲשֵֽׁירֵהֶם֙ (va-asheirehem) – Root: אשרה (asherah); Form: Conjunction with noun, feminine plural construct and 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their Asherim”; Notes: Refers to wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah.
- תְּגַדֵּע֔וּן (tegadeʿun) – Root: גדע (gadaʿ); Form: Piel imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall cut down”; Notes: Refers to cutting off or cutting down.
- וּפְסִילֵיהֶ֖ם (u-fsileihem) – Root: פסל (pesel); Form: Conjunction with noun, masculine plural construct and 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their graven images”; Notes: Refers to carved idols.
- תִּשְׂרְפ֥וּן (tisrfun) – Root: שרף (saraf); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall burn”; Notes: Refers to consuming with fire.
- בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ (ba-esh) – Root: אש (esh); Form: Preposition with noun, feminine singular; Translation: “with fire”; Notes: Specifies the means of destruction.