לְ֠מַעַן לֹֽא־יִתְע֨וּ עֹ֤וד בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאַֽחֲרַ֔י וְלֹֽא־יִטַּמְּא֥וּ עֹ֖וד בְּכָל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֣י לְעָ֗ם וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֶהְיֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ פ
In order that the house of Yisraʾel may no more stray from after me, and they may no more defile themselves in all their transgressions; and they shall be to me for a people, and I will be to them for a God,” declares the Lord YHWH.’”
Morphology
- לְמַעַן (lemaʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Expresses divine purpose.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb.
- יִתְעוּ (yitʿu) – Root: תעה (taʿah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they may stray”; Notes: Refers to wandering or erring, figuratively spiritual deviation.
- עוֹד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “again / any more”; Notes: Emphasizes cessation of behavior.
- בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל (beit-Yisraʾel) – Root: בית (bayit), ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct chain (noun masculine singular construct + proper noun); Translation: “the house of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people collectively.
- מֵאַחֲרַי (meʾaḥarai) – Root: אחר (ʾaḥar); Form: Preposition מִן + noun + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “from after me”; Notes: Refers to forsaking God’s following.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Connects the prohibition with the next action.
- יִטַּמְּאוּ (yittammeʾu) – Root: טמא (ṭamaʾ); Form: Hitpael imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they may defile themselves”; Notes: Refers to ritual and moral impurity.
- עוֹד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “any more”; Notes: Reiterates finality of prohibition.
- בְּכָל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם (be-khol-pishʿeihem) – Root: פשׁע (peshaʿ); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “in all their transgressions”; Notes: Covers every act of rebellion.
- וְהָיוּ (ve-hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and they shall be”; Notes: Denotes covenantal outcome.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Expresses possession or belonging.
- לְעָם (le-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for a people”; Notes: Designates covenant identity.
- וַאֲנִי (va-ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “and I”; Notes: Emphatic divine self-reference.
- אֶהְיֶה (ʾehyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will be”; Notes: Denotes divine covenant role and presence.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Marks YHWH’s covenant relationship.
- לֵאלֹהִים (le-ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾlh); Form: Preposition + plural noun masculine; Translation: “for a God”; Notes: Stresses YHWH as the exclusive deity.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “declaration”; Notes: Formulaic prophetic term affirming divine authority.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix of majesty; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Title of authority, paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hawah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of God, finalizing the oracle.