בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־עַמְּךָ֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֶ֕רֶץ כִּֽי־אָבִ֥יא עָלֶ֖יהָ חָ֑רֶב וְלָקְח֨וּ עַם־הָאָ֜רֶץ אִ֤ישׁ אֶחָד֙ מִקְצֵיהֶ֔ם וְנָתְנ֥וּ אֹתֹ֛ו לָהֶ֖ם לְצֹפֶֽה׃
“Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them: When I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and set him for themselves as a watchman.
Morphology
- בֶּן־ (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “son of”; Notes: Construct form joined with “man” forming the divine address “son of man.”
- אָדָם (adam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “man”; Notes: Common divine epithet for Ezekiel, emphasizing human frailty and mortality in contrast to divine authority.
- דַּבֵּר (dabber) – Root: דבר (dabar); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “speak”; Notes: Command from YHWH, emphasizing forceful communication of His message.
- אֶל־ (el) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “to / unto”; Notes: Directs the action of speech toward the addressees.
- בְּנֵי־ (benei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Used idiomatically for “people of.”
- עַמְּךָ (ʿammekha) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your people”; Notes: Refers to Ezekiel’s fellow Israelites, exiled or living under threat of judgment.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Sequential command following “speak.”
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Specifies the audience of Ezekiel’s prophetic speech.
- אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers generically to any land or nation subject to divine judgment.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: Particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- אָבִיא (avi) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I bring”; Notes: Causative stem expressing YHWH’s deliberate act of sending destruction.
- עָלֶיהָ (aleha) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “upon it”; Notes: Refers to the land as the object of judgment.
- חָרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a sword”; Notes: Symbol of war and divine punishment.
- וְלָקְחוּ (ve-laqechu) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and they shall take”; Notes: Refers to the people’s collective action in response to danger.
- עַם־ (ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “people of”; Notes: Construct phrase continuing with “the land.”
- הָאָרֶץ (ha-arets) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Specifies the community threatened by the sword.
- אִישׁ (ish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Represents an individual selected from among the people.
- אֶחָד (eḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Modifies “man,” emphasizing one chosen representative.
- מִקְצֵיהֶם (miketseihem) – Root: קצה (qatseh); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “from among them / from their borders”; Notes: Indicates the man is chosen from within their own community.
- וְנָתְנוּ (ve-natnu) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction וְ; Translation: “and they shall set / appoint”; Notes: Refers to the people appointing the watchman.
- אֹתֹו (oto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the appointed individual.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: ל (lamed); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “for themselves”; Notes: Indicates that the action benefits or concerns the community itself.
- לְצֹפֶה (le-tsofeh) – Root: צפה (tsafah); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “as a watchman”; Notes: Denotes a sentinel or lookout responsible for warning of approaching danger; metaphorically, a prophet.