בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם שִׂ֤ים פָּנֶ֨יךָ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ תֵּימָ֔נָה וְהַטֵּ֖ף אֶל־דָּרֹ֑ום וְהִנָּבֵ֛א אֶל־יַ֥עַר הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה נֶֽגֶב׃
Son of man, set your face toward the way of the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy toward the forest of the field of the Negev.
Morphology
- בֶּן (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “son”; Notes: Construct with אָדָם, formulaic prophetic address.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “man”; Notes: Forms “son of man,” Ezekiel’s common address from YHWH.
- שִׂים (sim) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “set”; Notes: Command to direct one’s attention or stance.
- פָּנֶיךָ (panekha) – Root: פנים (panim); Form: Noun, masculine plural (plural of form) construct + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your face”; Notes: Expression for prophetic focus or orientation.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “way”; Notes: Refers to the southern route, direction of prophecy.
- תֵּימָנָה (temanah) – Root: ימן (yaman); Form: Noun/adverbial directional ending -ָה; Translation: “southward”; Notes: Adverbial form specifying direction.
- וְהַטֵּף (ve-hattef) – Root: נטף (nataf); Form: Hifil imperative, 2nd person masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and ‘drip’ (prophesy)”; Notes: Metaphor for prophetic speech, figuratively dripping words.
- אֶל (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Marks direction of prophetic utterance.
- דָּרֹום (darom) – Root: דרם (daram); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “south”; Notes: Another geographical term for the southern region.
- וְהִנָּבֵא (ve-hinnave) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Niphal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and prophesy”; Notes: Standard verb for prophetic proclamation.
- אֶל (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Governs the phrase יַעַר הַשָּׂדֶה.
- יַעַר (yaʿar) – Root: יער (yaʿar); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “forest”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to the people or land as a dense wood.
- הַשָּׂדֶה (ha-sadeh) – Root: שׂדה (sadeh); Form: Definite noun, masculine singular; Translation: “the field”; Notes: The cultivated land in contrast to the forest, imagery for judgment.
- נֶגֶב (negev) – Root: נגב (negev); Form: Proper noun or geographical term; Translation: “Negev”; Notes: Southern desert region of Yisraʾel, often symbolic of aridity and testing.