וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֲדֹנָ֑י אִ֧ישׁ כִּדְרָכָ֛יו אֶשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶתְכֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Every man according to his ways I will judge you, O house of Yisraʾel.”
Morphology
- וַאֲמַרְתֶּם (vaʾamartem) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “and you said”; Notes: Refers to the people’s continued accusation against YHWH’s justice.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the statement following, marking rejection of divine fairness.
- יִתָּכֵן (yittakhen) – Root: כון (kun); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is right / is just”; Notes: Passive-reflexive sense meaning “is proper,” here denied by the people.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך (darakh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “way”; Notes: A common metaphor for conduct or divine policy; refers to YHWH’s manner of judgment.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “the Lord”; Notes: Title of divine sovereignty, expressing rulership and authority of YHWH.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “man / each man”; Notes: Used here distributively—referring to each individual of Yisraʾel.
- כִּדְרָכָיו (ki-darkhav) – Root: דרך (darakh); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “according to his ways”; Notes: Indicates judgment based on each person’s conduct or deeds.
- אֶשְׁפֹּט (ʾeshpot) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will judge”; Notes: YHWH speaks directly, affirming divine justice applied individually.
- אֶתְכֶם (etkhem) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker אֶת + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Marks the direct object of divine judgment—Yisraʾel as a collective entity.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “house of”; Notes: Designates a nation or family collective, often referring to the covenant people.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant nation; divine judgment is applied to the entire house of Yisraʾel.