וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם מַדֻּ֛עַ לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א הַבֵּ֖ן בַּעֲוֹ֣ן הָאָ֑ב וְהַבֵּ֞ן מִשְׁפָּ֧ט וּצְדָקָ֣ה עָשָׂ֗ה אֵ֣ת כָּל־חֻקֹּותַ֥י שָׁמַ֛ר וַיַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֖ם חָיֹ֥ה יִחְיֶֽה׃
And you say, ‘Why does the son not bear the iniquity of the father?’ But the son has done justice and righteousness, all My statutes he has kept and he has done them; living he shall live.
Morphology
- וַאֲמַרְתֶּם (va-amartem) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “and you said”; Notes: Marks the people’s questioning statement.
- מַדֻּעַ (madduaʿ) – Root: ידע; Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “why”; Notes: Seeks explanation.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- נָשָׂא (nasaʾ) – Root: נשׂא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he bore”; Notes: Refers to carrying or bearing responsibility.
- הַבֵּן (ha-ben) – Root: בן; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the son”; Notes: Subject of the question.
- בַּעֲוֹן (ba-ʿavon) – Root: עון; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the iniquity”; Notes: Refers to guilt or punishment of sin.
- הָאָב (ha-av) – Root: אב; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the father”; Notes: Object of the phrase “the iniquity of the father.”
- וְהַבֵּן (ve-ha-ben) – Root: בן; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “but the son”; Notes: Contrast with the father.
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) – Root: שׁפט; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “justice”; Notes: Refers to right judgment or just action.
- וּצְדָקָה (u-tsedaqah) – Root: צדק; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and righteousness”; Notes: Refers to moral and ethical uprightness.
- עָשָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he did”; Notes: Indicates completed action.
- אֵת (et) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks definite direct object.
- כָּל־ (kol) – Root: כל; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “all of”; Notes: Governs the following noun phrase.
- חֻקֹּותַי (ḥuqqotai) – Root: חקק; Form: Noun feminine plural construct + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “My statutes”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s decrees.
- שָׁמַר (shamar) – Root: שׁמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he kept”; Notes: Indicates careful observance.
- וַיַּעֲשֶׂה (va-yaʿaseh) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he did”; Notes: Sequential action following keeping statutes.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Root: את; Form: Direct object pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to YHWH’s statutes.
- חָיֹה (ḥayoh) – Root: חי; Form: Infinitive absolute Qal; Translation: “living”; Notes: Emphasizes certainty of the following verb.
- יִחְיֶה (yiḥyeh) – Root: חי; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall live”; Notes: Main statement, reinforced by infinitive absolute for emphasis.