וְאַתָּ֨ה בֶן־אָדָ֜ם שִׂים־לְךָ֣ שְׁנַ֣יִם דְּרָכִ֗ים לָבֹוא֙ חֶ֣רֶב מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ אֶחָ֖ד יֵצְא֣וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם וְיָ֣ד בָּרֵ֔א בְּרֹ֥אשׁ דֶּֽרֶךְ־עִ֖יר בָּרֵֽא׃
And you, son of man, set for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Bavel to come. From one land both of them shall go out, and a hand prepare, at the head of the way of a city prepare.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atta) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun 2ms with conjunction; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Direct address to the prophet.
- בֶן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בן + אדם; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Title consistently used for Ezekiel.
- שִׂים־לְךָ (sim-lekha) – Root: שׂים; Form: Qal imperative 2ms + preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “set for yourself”; Notes: Command for symbolic prophetic action.
- שְׁנַיִם (shenayim) – Root: שׁנים; Form: Dual masculine absolute; Translation: “two”; Notes: Refers to two paths or options.
- דְּרָכִים (derakhim) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “ways/roads”; Notes: Symbolic for military campaigns.
- לָבֹוא (la-vo) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “for the coming”; Notes: Purpose of the prepared ways.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Metonymy for war/judgment.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך + בבל; Form: Noun construct phrase; Translation: “the king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
- מֵאֶרֶץ (me-erets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from a land”; Notes: Denotes point of origin.
- אֶחָד (eḥad) – Root: אחד; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: A single land of departure.
- יֵצְאוּ (yetzeʾu) – Root: יצא; Form: Qal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “they shall go out”; Notes: Refers to both roads leading from one land.
- שְׁנֵיהֶם (shenehem) – Root: שׁנים; Form: Dual masculine construct + 3mp suffix; Translation: “both of them”; Notes: The two ways mentioned.
- וְיָד (ve-yad) – Root: יד; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and a hand”; Notes: Likely metaphor for a signpost or marker.
- בָּרֵא (bare) – Root: ברא; Form: Qal imperative 2ms; Translation: “prepare”; Notes: Command to mark out or create the choice.
- בְּרֹאשׁ (be-rosh) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “at the head of”; Notes: Refers to the starting point.
- דֶּרֶךְ־עִיר (derekh-ʿir) – Root: דרך + עיר; Form: Construct phrase; Translation: “the way of a city”; Notes: The road leading to the chosen city.
- בָּרֵא (bare) – Root: ברא; Form: Qal imperative 2ms (repeated); Translation: “prepare”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, stressing prophetic action.