בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם מָֽה־הַמָּשָׁ֤ל הַזֶּה֙ לָכֶ֔ם עַל־אַדְמַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר יַֽאַרְכוּ֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים וְאָבַ֖ד כָּל־חָזֹֽון׃
“Son of man, what is this proverb for you concerning the soil of Yisraʾel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision has perished’?
Morphology
- בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-ʾādām) — Root: אדם; Form: Construct noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “Son of man”; Notes: Standard form of address to Yeḥezqel.
- מָה (māh) — Root: Interrogative particle; Form: Indeclinable; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces a question.
- הַמָּשָׁל (ham-māshāl) — Root: משׁל; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the proverb / parable”; Notes: Refers to a common saying circulating among the people.
- הַזֶּה (hazzeh) — Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Qualifies the proverb being cited.
- לָכֶם (lākhem) — Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Directs the proverb’s relevance to Yisraʾel.
- עַל־אַדְמַת (ʿal-ʾadmat) — Root: אדמה; Form: Preposition + construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “concerning the soil of”; Notes: Connects the saying to Yisraʾel’s land.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) — Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people and land.
- לֵאמֹר (lēʾmōr) — Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition ל; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the proverb.
- יַאַרְכוּ (yaʾarkū) — Root: ארך; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “are prolonged”; Notes: Expresses delay of fulfillment.
- הַיָּמִים (hayyāmīm) — Root: יום; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the days”; Notes: Refers to expected prophetic fulfillment being delayed.
- וְאָבַד (ve-ʾāvad) — Root: אבד; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with prefixed vav; Translation: “and has perished”; Notes: Expresses negation of reliability of visions.
- כָּל (kol) — Root: כל; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “every / all”; Notes: Scope marker of universality.
- חָזֹון (ḥāzōn) — Root: חזי; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “vision”; Notes: Refers to prophetic revelation, claimed here to have failed.