לָכֵ֣ן דַּבֵּר־֠אֹותָם וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶת־גִּלּוּלָ֜יו אֶל־לִבֹּ֗ו וּמִכְשֹׁ֤ול עֲוֹנֹו֙ יָשִׂים֙ נֹ֣כַח פָּנָ֔יו וּבָ֖א אֶל־הַנָּבִ֑יא אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה נַעֲנֵ֧יתִי לֹ֦ו בְּרֹ֥ב גִּלּוּלָֽיו׃
Therefore speak to them and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says my Lord YHWH: “Every man of the house of Yisraʾel who brings up his idols upon his heart and sets the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet, I YHWH will answer him according to the multitude of his idols.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a divine directive or consequence.
- דַּבֵּר (dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “speak”; Notes: Stronger, intensive command to deliver YHWH’s message.
- אֹותָם (ʾotam) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Marks the recipients of the prophetic speech.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect with waw-consecutive (converted) 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Sequential instruction following the imperative.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾaleihem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Identifies the audience of the prophetic message.
- כֹּה־אָמַר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Thus says”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing YHWH’s words.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person singular suffix of majesty; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Title of sovereignty, here attached to YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hawah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of Israel’s God.
- אִישׁ אִישׁ (ish ish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute, repeated; Translation: “every man”; Notes: Repetition gives distributive force, emphasizing universality.
- מִבֵּית (mi-beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition מִן + masculine singular construct; Translation: “from the house of”; Notes: Refers to membership or belonging.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The covenant people.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative particle; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- יַעֲלֶה (yaʿaleh) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “brings up”; Notes: Causative sense, deliberate act of setting up idols inwardly.
- אֶת־גִּלּוּלָיו (et-gillulav) – Root: גלל (galal); Form: Direct object marker + plural noun construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his idols”; Notes: Derogatory term for idols, emphasizing contempt.
- אֶל־לִבּוֹ (ʾel-libbo) – Root: לב (lev); Form: Preposition + masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “upon his heart”; Notes: Symbolic of inward devotion.
- וּמִכְשֹׁול (u-mikshol) – Root: כשׁל (kashal); Form: Conjunction + masculine singular noun absolute; Translation: “and the stumbling-block”; Notes: Figurative for sin that causes falling.
- עֲוֹנוֹ (ʿavono) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Masculine singular noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his iniquity”; Notes: Highlights personal guilt.
- יָשִׂים (yasim) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he sets”; Notes: Indicates intentional placement.
- נֹכַח (nokhaḥ) – Root: נכח (nokhaḥ); Form: Adverb; Translation: “before”; Notes: Expresses direct position.
- פָּנָיו (panav) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Plural noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his face”; Notes: Emphasizes open display.
- וּבָא (u-va) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and comes”; Notes: Continues the hypothetical scenario.
- אֶל־הַנָּבִיא (ʾel-ha-naviʾ) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the prophet”; Notes: Seeks prophetic counsel despite idolatry.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Stresses YHWH’s personal action.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hawah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Divine self-identification.
- נַעֲנֵיתִי (naʿaneti) – Root: ענה (ʿanah); Form: Niphal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will answer”; Notes: Reflexive-passive form; divine response to inquiry.
- לֹו (lo) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “him”; Notes: Marks the one receiving the answer.
- בְּרֹב (be-rov) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Preposition + masculine singular noun; Translation: “according to the multitude of”; Notes: Emphasizes the abundance.
- גִּלּוּלָיו (gillulav) – Root: גלל (galal); Form: Plural noun construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his idols”; Notes: Repeated stress on idolatry as the basis for judgment.