כְּשָׁמִ֛יר חָזָ֥ק מִצֹּ֖ר נָתַ֣תִּי מִצְחֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־תִירָ֤א אֹותָם֙ וְלֹא־תֵחַ֣ת מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֛י בֵּֽית־מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ פ
Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead; you shall not fear them, and you shall not be dismayed before them, for a rebellious house they are.
Morphology
- כְּשָׁמִיר (ke-shamir) – Root: שׁמיר; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “like emery”; Notes: A very hard stone, harder than flint, symbolizing firmness.
- חָזָק (ḥazaq) – Root: חזק; Form: Adjective masculine singular absolute; Translation: “hard/strong”; Notes: Describes the durability of the comparison.
- מִצֹּר (mi-ṣor) – Root: צור; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “than flint”; Notes: Comparison of hardness, showing greater resilience.
- נָתַתִּי (natatti) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have given/made”; Notes: YHWH is the agent making Ezekiel resolute.
- מִצְחֶךָ (mitzḥekha) – Root: מצח; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “your forehead”; Notes: Symbol of Ezekiel’s firmness and boldness.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces prohibition or negation.
- תִירָא (tiraʾ) – Root: ירא; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall fear”; Notes: Here negated: “you shall not fear.”
- אֹותָם (otam) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker אֵת + third person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the rebellious house of Yisraʾel.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Links the second prohibition.
- תֵחַת (teḥat) – Root: חתת; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall be dismayed”; Notes: Denotes breaking down in fear or discouragement.
- מִפְּנֵיהֶם (mi-peneihem) – Root: פנים; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “before them”; Notes: Refers to their hostile presence.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason clause.
- בֵּית־ (beit) – Root: בית; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Refers to the national community.
- מְרִי (meri) – Root: מרה; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “rebellion/rebellious”; Notes: A technical term in Ezekiel for the people’s defiance of YHWH.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they are”; Notes: Emphasizes the identity of the people as rebellious.