וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֲדֹנָ֑י הַדְּרָכַ֞י לֹ֤א יִתָּֽכְנּוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲלֹ֥א דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵֽן׃
And the house of Yisraʾel say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are my ways not right, house of Yisraʾel? Are your ways not what are not right?
Morphology
- וְאָֽמְרוּ (ve-ʾameru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive (wayyiqtol sense in context); Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Refers to the speech of the house of Yisraʾel.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Construct state noun masculine singular; Translation: “house of”; Notes: In construct with Yisraʾel, denoting the people collectively.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard negation.
- יִתָּכֵן (yitakken) – Root: כן (kun); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is right / is established”; Notes: Expresses the judgment of the house of Yisraʾel.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “way”; Notes: Refers to moral conduct or divine path.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Divine title, plural of majesty; Translation: “the Lord”; Notes: Title for God distinct from YHWH, preserved here in its form.
- הַדְּרָכַי (hadderakhai) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Definite plural noun masculine + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my ways”; Notes: YHWH’s own conduct is in view.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Repeated negation, rhetorical emphasis.
- יִתָּכְנּוּ (yitakkennu) – Root: כן (kun); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “are right / are established”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s ways being judged by Yisraʾel.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Construct noun masculine singular; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Repetition adds emphasis.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The people of God as a corporate body.
- הֲלֹא (halo) – Root: לא (lo) with interrogative particle הֲ; Form: Interrogative + negative; Translation: “Is it not?”; Notes: Rhetorical question introducing contrast.
- דַרְכֵיכֶם (darkhekhem) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your ways”; Notes: Opposes YHWH’s ways to those of the people.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates again for rhetorical force.
- יִתָּכֵן (yitakken) – Root: כן (kun); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is right / is established”; Notes: Declares the fault lies with Yisraʾel’s ways, not with YHWH’s.