בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם אֶ֚רֶץ כִּ֤י תֶחֱטָא־לִי֙ לִמְעָל־מַ֔עַל וְנָטִ֤יתִי יָדִי֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ וְשָׁבַ֥רְתִּי לָ֖הּ מַטֵּה־לָ֑חֶם וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּי־בָ֣הּ רָעָ֔ב וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה אָדָ֥ם וּבְהֵמָֽה׃
“Son of man, a land, when it sins against me by acting unfaithfully, then I will stretch out my hand against it, and I will break for it the staff of bread, and I will send famine into it, and I will cut off from it man and beast.
Morphology
- בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בן (ben), אדם (ʾadam); Form: Construct chain noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Prophetic address to Ezekiel emphasizing human frailty.
- אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to a nation or territory under judgment.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when”; Notes: Conditional usage, introducing circumstance.
- תֶחֱטָא (teḥetaʾ) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it sins”; Notes: Refers to the land (feminine noun) personified as committing sin.
- לִי (li) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “against me”; Notes: Indicates offense directed toward YHWH.
- לִמְעָל־מַעַל (limʿal-maʿal) – Root: מעל (maʿal); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct + cognate accusative noun; Translation: “by acting unfaithfully”; Notes: Doubling intensifies treachery.
- וְנָטִיתִי (ve-natiti) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and I will stretch out”; Notes: YHWH’s hand as an image of direct intervention.
- יָדִי (yadi) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun feminine singular with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “my hand”; Notes: Anthropomorphic symbol of divine power.
- עָלֶיהָ (ʿaleha) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “against it”; Notes: Refers back to the land (feminine).
- וְשָׁבַרְתִּי (ve-shavarti) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and I will break”; Notes: Expresses destructive judgment.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “for it”; Notes: Refers again to the land.
- מַטֵּה־לָחֶם (matteh-laḥem) – Root: מטה (matteh), לחם (laḥem); Form: Construct chain noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the staff of bread”; Notes: Metaphor for sustenance and stability of food supply.
- וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּי (ve-hishlaḥti) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and I will send”; Notes: Divine causation of calamity.
- בָהּ (vah) – Root: ב (be); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “into it”; Notes: Refers to the land as the target of judgment.
- רָעָב (raʿav) – Root: רעב (raʿav); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “famine”; Notes: A divine punishment affecting survival.
- וְהִכְרַתִּי (ve-hikhratti) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular with waw-consecutive; Translation: “and I will cut off”; Notes: Indicates eradication as judgment.
- מִמֶּנָּה (mimmenah) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from it”; Notes: Refers back to the land.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: Represents human inhabitants.
- וּבְהֵמָה (u-vehemah) – Root: בהמה (behemah); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “and beast”; Notes: Includes livestock, showing comprehensive devastation.