בְּאָמְרִ֤י לַצַּדִּיק֙ חָיֹ֣ה יִֽחְיֶ֔ה וְהֽוּא־בָטַ֥ח עַל־צִדְקָתֹ֖ו וְעָ֣שָׂה עָ֑וֶל כָּל־צִדְקָתֹו לֹ֣א תִזָּכַ֔רְנָה וּבְעַוְלֹ֥ו אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה בֹּ֥ו יָמֽוּת׃
When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, and he trusts in his righteousness and commits injustice, none of his righteousness shall be remembered; and in his injustice that he has done, he shall die.
Morphology
- בְּאָמְרִי (beʾomri) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “when I say”; Notes: Introduces a conditional or temporal clause marking divine speech.
- לַצַּדִּיק (la-tsaddiq) – Root: צדק (tsadaq); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the righteous”; Notes: Marks the recipient of divine speech—one recognized for moral uprightness.
- חָיֹה (ḥayoh) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Infinitive absolute; Translation: “surely live”; Notes: Used with the following finite verb for emphasis—expressing certainty of life.
- יִחְיֶה (yiḥyeh) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall live”; Notes: Completes the idiomatic infinitive absolute + imperfect construction conveying certainty.
- וְהוּא (ve-hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “and he”; Notes: Introduces contrast between YHWH’s promise and the man’s conduct.
- בָטַח (bataḥ) – Root: בטח (bataḥ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “trusted”; Notes: Indicates misplaced confidence or complacency in one’s own righteousness.
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon / in”; Notes: Marks the object of confidence or reliance.
- צִדְקָתֹו (tsidqato) – Root: צדק (tsadaq); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his righteousness”; Notes: Refers to personal moral conduct or past good deeds.
- וְעָשָׂה (ve-ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and he did”; Notes: Indicates subsequent moral action contradicting his prior righteousness.
- עָוֶל (ʿawel) – Root: עול (ʿawal); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “injustice / wrong”; Notes: Denotes moral perversion or corruption of justice.
- כָּל־ (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “all of”; Notes: Introduces totality—none of his former righteousness will remain credited.
- צִדְקָתֹו (tsidqato) – Root: צדק (tsadaq); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his righteousness”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes personal responsibility—moral status is not permanent.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the remembrance or accounting of his previous righteousness.
- תִזָּכַרְנָה (tizzakharna) – Root: זכר (zakhar); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “shall be remembered”; Notes: Passive—his deeds will no longer be recalled in his favor.
- וּבְעַוְלֹו (u-veʿavlo) – Root: עול (ʿawal); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and in his injustice”; Notes: Refers to the sinful act as the cause of his downfall.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: Particle; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that / which”; Notes: Connects the preceding noun “injustice” with the following verb “he has done.”
- עָשָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he has done”; Notes: Refers to the specific sinful action causing judgment.
- בֹּו (bo) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers back to the injustice as the agent of his demise.
- יָמוּת (yamuth) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall die”; Notes: Expresses the consequence of unrepentant sin—the reversal of the promised life.