בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנָּבֵא֙ וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֑י אֱמֹ֕ר חֶ֥רֶב חֶ֛רֶב הוּחַ֖דָּה וְגַם־מְרוּטָֽה׃
Son of man, prophesy and you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword; it is sharpened and also polished!
Morphology
- בֶּן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “son”; Notes: Forms prophetic address with אָדָם.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: Together with בֶּן, “son of man,” common Ezekiel address.
- הִנָּבֵא (hinnave) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Niphal imperative 2ms; Translation: “prophesy”; Notes: Command to utter divine speech.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2ms with prefixed ו; Translation: “and say”; Notes: Directive to proclaim what follows.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces the divine oracle formula.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Messenger formula introducing divine speech.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Proper noun, divine title; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Title of sovereignty for YHWH.
- אֱמֹר (emor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperative 2ms; Translation: “say”; Notes: Immediate command to announce the message about the sword.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “sword”; Notes: First mention, repeated for emphasis of threat.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Repetition intensifies urgency and certainty.
- הוּחַדָּה (huḥaddah) – Root: חדד (ḥadad); Form: Pual perfect 3fs; Translation: “it has been sharpened”; Notes: Feminine agreement with חֶרֶב, stressing readiness for use.
- וְגַם (ve-gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the sharpening with another quality.
- מְרוּטָה (merutah) – Root: מרט (marat); Form: Pual participle feminine singular; Translation: “polished”; Notes: Describes the sword as burnished, gleaming, and deadly.