Ezekiel 21:26 (Ezekiel 21:21)

כִּֽי־עָמַ֨ד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל אֶל־אֵ֣ם הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ בְּרֹ֛אשׁ שְׁנֵ֥י הַדְּרָכִ֖ים לִקְסָם־קָ֑סֶם קִלְקַ֤ל בַּֽחִצִּים֙ שָׁאַ֣ל בַּתְּרָפִ֔ים רָאָ֖ה בַּכָּבֵֽד׃

For the king of Bavel stood at the mother of the way, at the head of the two ways, to practice divination. He shook the arrows, he inquired of the terafim, he looked at the liver.

Morphology

1. כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation or reason.
2. עָמַד (ʿamad) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “stood”; Notes: Describes the king’s positioning at a decision point.
3. מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך (melekh), בבל (Bavel); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “the king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon.
4. אֶל (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “at/to”; Notes: Marks direction toward the location.
5. אֵם (ʾem) – Root: אם (ʾem); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “mother of”; Notes: Figurative expression for the main or central point of the way.
6. הַדֶּרֶךְ (ha-derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute with article; Translation: “the way”; Notes: Refers to the main road.
7. בְּרֹאשׁ (be-rosh) – Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “at the head”; Notes: Locative expression for the starting point or junction.
8. שְׁנֵי (shenei) – Root: שׁנים (shenayim); Form: Dual construct; Translation: “two of”; Notes: Introduces the dual noun following it.
9. הַדְּרָכִים (ha-derakhim) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute with article; Translation: “the ways”; Notes: Refers to the two divergent paths.
10. לִקְסָם (liksam) – Root: קסם (qasam); Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to practice divination”; Notes: Purpose clause showing the king’s action.
11. קָסֶם (qesem) – Root: קסם (qasem); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “divination”; Notes: General term for occult practices.
12. קִלְקַּל (kilqal) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shook”; Notes: Specifically refers to shaking arrows for divination.
13. בַּחִצִּים (ba-ḥitzim) – Root: חץ (ḥetz); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural definite; Translation: “the arrows”; Notes: Method of divination: casting arrows to determine fate.
14. שָׁאַל (shaʾal) – Root: שׁאל (shaʾal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he asked”; Notes: Seeks counsel from divine or supernatural source.
15. בַּתְּרָפִים (ba-terafim) – Root: תרף (teref); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural definite; Translation: “the teraphim”; Notes: Refers to household idols or oracular objects.
16. רָאָה (raʾah) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he looked”; Notes: Denotes ritual inspection.
17. בַּכָּבֵד (ba-kaved) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “the liver”; Notes: Refers to hepatoscopy, an ancient practice of divination by examining the liver of a sacrificed animal.