נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֨סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֹ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד עֲוֹ֣ן אָבֹ֗ות עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃
Maintaining lovingkindness to thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Morphology
- נֹצֵ֥ר (notser) – Root: נצר (n-ts-r); Form: Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Maintaining”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s continual preservation of lovingkindness.
- חֶ֨סֶד֙ (ḥesed) – Root: חסד (ḥ-s-d); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Lovingkindness”; Notes: Indicates covenantal love and mercy.
- לָאֲלָפִ֔ים (laʾalafim) – Root: אלף (ʾ-l-p); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “To thousands”; Notes: Refers to the extent of YHWH’s lovingkindness.
- נֹשֵׂ֥א (noseʾ) – Root: נשא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Forgiving”; Notes: Highlights YHWH’s capacity to pardon.
- עָוֹ֛ן (ʿavon) – Root: עון (ʿ-v-n); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Iniquity”; Notes: Refers to moral wrongdoing or guilt.
- וָפֶ֖שַׁע (vapeshaʿ) – Root: פשׁע (p-sh-ʿ); Form: Conjunction + Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “And transgression”; Notes: Indicates rebellious acts.
- וְחַטָּאָ֑ה (veḥaṭṭaʾah) – Root: חטא (ḥ-ṭ-ʾ); Form: Conjunction + Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “And sin”; Notes: Refers to offenses against YHWH’s commands.
- וְנַקֵּה֙ (venaqeh) – Root: נקה (n-q-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms, with conjunction; Translation: “By no means clearing”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s justice against guilt.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- יְנַקֶּ֔ה (yenakkeh) – Root: נקה (n-q-h); Form: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “Clearing”; Notes: Specifies YHWH’s refusal to absolve the guilty without accountability.
- פֹּקֵ֣ד (poqed) – Root: פקד (p-q-d); Form: Participle, masculine singular; Translation: “Visiting”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s act of holding people accountable.
- עֲוֹ֣ן (ʿavon) – Root: עון (ʿ-v-n); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Iniquity”; Notes: Repeated to emphasize culpability.
- אָבֹ֗ות (avot) – Root: אב (ʾ-v); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors whose sins impact descendants.
- עַל־בָּנִים֙ (ʿal-baním) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Upon the children”; Notes: Highlights the generational consequences of iniquity.
- וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י (veʿal-benei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “And upon the children of”; Notes: Extends the impact to the next generation.
- בָנִ֔ים (banim) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Children”; Notes: Indicates the ongoing generational effect.
- עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים (ʿal-shilleshim) – Root: שלש (sh-l-sh); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Upon the third generation”; Notes: Specifies the extent of divine justice.
- וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים (veʿal-rivʿim) – Root: רבע (r-b-ʿ); Form: Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “And upon the fourth generation”; Notes: Concludes the extent of the generational consequences.