אֱמֹ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם חַי־אָ֣נִי נְאֻ֣ם אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אִם־אֶחְפֹּץ֙ בְּמֹ֣ות הָרָשָׁ֔ע כִּ֣י אִם־בְּשׁ֥וּב רָשָׁ֛ע מִדַּרְכֹּ֖ו וְחָיָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ שׁ֜וּבוּ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֧ם הָרָעִ֛ים וְלָ֥מָּה תָמ֖וּתוּ בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ
Say to them: ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord YHWH, ‘I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Yisraʾel?’
Morphology
- אֱמֹר (emor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “say”; Notes: Command to the prophet Ezekiel to deliver the divine message to Yisraʾel.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Indicates the addressees of the message—the people of Yisraʾel.
- חַי־ (ḥai) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Participle masculine singular used in an oath formula; Translation: “as I live”; Notes: A divine oath emphasizing YHWH’s sincerity and self-commitment.
- אָֽנִי (ani) – Root: Pronoun; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Stresses YHWH’s personal declaration and authority.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “utterance / declaration”; Notes: Prophetic formula marking the divine origin of speech.
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) – Root: אדון (adon); Form: Noun masculine plural (of majesty); Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Used reverentially for YHWH’s sovereignty.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: Divine Name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: Particle; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if / surely not”; Notes: Used idiomatically here as a negative oath formula meaning “as surely as I live, I do not.”
- אֶחְפֹּץ (eḥpots) – Root: חפץ (ḥafets); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I desire / I take pleasure”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s disposition—He does not delight in death.
- בְּמֹות (be-mot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Preposition בְּ + infinitive construct; Translation: “in the death”; Notes: Refers to the experience or event of dying.
- הָרָשָׁע (ha-rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the wicked”; Notes: Specifies the moral subject whose repentance is sought.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but / rather”; Notes: Contrasts YHWH’s will—not in death, but in repentance and life.
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: Particle; Form: Conditional particle; Translation: “if”; Notes: Continues the contrast—“but if (in the case of repentance).”
- בְּשׁוּב (be-shuv) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Preposition בְּ + infinitive construct; Translation: “in the turning / by turning”; Notes: Expresses condition for life through repentance.
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the wicked”; Notes: The subject who must turn back from his evil way.
- מִדַּרְכֹּו (mi-darko) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “from his way”; Notes: Denotes moral conduct to be abandoned.
- וְחָיָה (ve-ḥayah) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he shall live”; Notes: The promised outcome of repentance—restoration to life.
- שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “turn”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis—an urgent prophetic appeal to repent.
- שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural (repetition); Translation: “turn!”; Notes: Doubling intensifies the divine plea for repentance.
- מִדַּרְכֵיכֶם (mi-darkekhem) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “from your ways”; Notes: Refers collectively to the sinful patterns of life in Yisraʾel.
- הָרָעִים (ha-raʿim) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite adjective masculine plural; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Qualifies the people’s conduct as morally corrupt.
- וְלָמָּה (ve-lamah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Conjunction וְ + interrogative adverb; Translation: “and why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question appealing to reason and conscience.
- תָמֻתוּ (tamutu) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “should you die”; Notes: Expresses incredulity—YHWH questions the people’s persistence in self-destruction.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Identifies the nation as a family or household under YHWH’s covenantal rule.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people collectively being urged to repent and live.