וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־֠אָדָם אַל־תִּירָ֨א מֵהֶ֜ם וּמִדִּבְרֵיהֶ֣ם אַל־תִּירָ֗א כִּ֣י סָרָבִ֤ים וְסַלֹּונִים֙ אֹותָ֔ךְ וְאֶל־עַקְרַבִּ֖ים אַתָּ֣ה יֹושֵׁ֑ב מִדִּבְרֵיהֶ֤ם אַל־תִּירָא֙ וּמִפְּנֵיהֶ֣ם אַל־תֵּחָ֔ת כִּ֛י בֵּ֥ית מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃
And you, son of man, do not fear them, and of their words do not fear, though briers and thorns are with you, and among scorpions you dwell. Of their words do not fear, and before them do not be dismayed, for a rebellious house they are.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atta) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Marks a direct personal address to Ezekiel.
- בֶן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בן / אדם; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Designation for Ezekiel stressing mortality and contrast with divine glory.
- אַל־ (ʾal) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Used with jussive to form prohibition.
- תִּירָא (tira) – Root: ירא; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular, jussive force; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Prohibition: “do not fear.”
- מֵהֶם (me-hem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition מִן + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “from them”; Notes: Denotes source or object of fear.
- וּמִדִּבְרֵיהֶם (u-midivrehem) – Root: דבר; Form: Conjunction ו + preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and of their words”; Notes: Extends prohibition to hostile speech.
- אַל־תִּירָא (ʾal-tira) – Root: ירא; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2ms (jussive); Translation: “do not fear”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “though/for”; Notes: Here concessive: “though.”
- סָרָבִים (saravim) – Root: סרב; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “briers”; Notes: Figurative of painful opposition.
- וְסַלֹּונִים (ve-sallonim) – Root: סלל? (uncertain); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “thorns”; Notes: Metaphorical of hostility or difficulty.
- אֹותָךְ (ʾotakh) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Ezekiel is the one surrounded by these dangers.
- וְאֶל־ (ve-ʾel) – Root: אל; Form: Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “and among/to”; Notes: Locative: introduces dwelling among scorpions.
- עַקְרַבִּים (ʿaqrabim) – Root: עקרב; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “scorpions”; Notes: Metaphorical for dangerous, venomous adversaries.
- אַתָּה (atta) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Stresses Ezekiel’s condition.
- יֹושֵׁב (yoshev) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “are dwelling”; Notes: Expresses ongoing habitation among hostile figures.
- מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם (mi-divrehem) – Root: דבר; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “of their words”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
- אַל־תִּירָא (ʾal-tira) – Root: ירא; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2ms (jussive); Translation: “do not fear”; Notes: Intensified by repetition.
- וּמִפְּנֵיהֶם (u-mipneihem) – Root: פנה; Form: Conjunction ו + preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and before them”; Notes: Refers to their intimidating presence.
- אַל־תֵּחָת (ʾal-teḥat) – Root: חתת; Form: Negative particle + Niphal imperfect 2ms (jussive); Translation: “do not be dismayed”; Notes: Refers to fear leading to discouragement.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces causal explanation.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Used figuratively of a collective group.
- מְרִי (meri) – Root: מרה; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “rebellion”; Notes: Defines the people as stubbornly rebellious against YHWH.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they are”; Notes: Concluding emphasis on the character of the people.