Ezekiel 23:39

וּֽבְשַׁחֲטָ֤ם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ לְגִלּ֣וּלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ אֶל־מִקְדָּשִׁ֛י בַּיֹּ֥ום הַה֖וּא לְחַלְּלֹ֑ו וְהִנֵּה־כֹ֥ה עָשׂ֖וּ בְּתֹ֥וךְ בֵּיתִֽי׃

And when they slaughtered their sons for their idols, they came into my sanctuary on that day to profane it, and behold, thus they did in the midst of my house.

Morphology

1. וּבְשַׁחֲטָם (u-vehshaḥatām) – Root: שׁחט (shaḥat); Form: Conjunction + preposition ב + infinitive construct with 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and when they slaughtered”; Notes: Refers to ritual slaughter, here tragically of children.
2. אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Object marker; Translation: [no direct translation]; Notes: Introduces the definite direct object.
3. בְּנֵיהֶם (benēhem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their sons”; Notes: Refers to children offered in idolatrous sacrifice.
4. לְגִלּוּלֵיהֶם (le-gillūleihem) – Root: גלל (galal); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for their idols”; Notes: Pejorative term for idols, perhaps related to refuse or dung.
5. וַיָּבֹאוּ (va-yāvoʾu) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: Sequential action following the slaughter.
6. אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks direction toward a place.
7. מִקְדָּשִׁי (mikdashī) – Root: קדשׁ (qadash); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my sanctuary”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s holy temple in Jerusalem.
8. בַּיֹּום (ba-yōm) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition ב + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Time indicator, pointing to the same day as the sacrifice.
9. הַהוּא (ha-hūʾ) – Root: הוא (huʾ); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “that”; Notes: Specifies the particular day of defilement.
10. לְחַלְּלֹו (le-ḥallelō) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Preposition ל + Piel infinitive construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “to profane it”; Notes: Refers to defiling the sanctuary.
11. וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinnēh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Interjection; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the shocking nature of the act.
12. כֹה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Indicates manner, “in this way.”
13. עָשׂוּ (ʿāśū) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “they did”; Notes: Summarizes their abominable behavior.
14. בְּתוֹךְ (be-tōkh) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition; Translation: “in the midst of”; Notes: Spatial emphasis: the desecration occurred inside YHWH’s temple.
15. בֵּיתִי (bētī) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my house”; Notes: YHWH’s house, the temple in Jerusalem, violated by idolatrous acts.