בְּאָמְרִ֣י לָרָשָׁ֗ע רָשָׁע֙ מֹ֣ות תָּמ֔וּת וְלֹ֣א דִבַּ֔רְתָּ לְהַזְהִ֥יר רָשָׁ֖ע מִדַּרְכֹּ֑ו ה֤וּא רָשָׁע֙ בַּעֲוֹנֹ֣ו יָמ֔וּת וְדָמֹ֖ו מִיָּדְךָ֥ אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃
When I say to the wicked, “Wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked one shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand.
Morphology
- בְּאָמְרִי (beʾomri) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition בְּ + Qal infinitive construct + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “when I say”; Notes: Introduces a temporal or conditional clause—YHWH speaking to the prophet.
- לָרָשָׁע (la-rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the wicked”; Notes: Indicates the one addressed by YHWH’s declaration of judgment.
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular (vocative); Translation: “O wicked one”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis; vocative form in direct address.
- מֹות (mot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Infinitive absolute; Translation: “surely die”; Notes: Intensifies the following finite verb to express certainty of death (“you shall surely die”).
- תָּמוּת (tamuth) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall die”; Notes: Finite verb paired with the infinitive absolute for emphasis.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and you do not”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s failure to act.
- דִבַּרְתָּ (dibarta) – Root: דבר (dabar); Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “speak”; Notes: Indicates deliberate communication; here, the failure to deliver YHWH’s warning message.
- לְהַזְהִיר (le-hazhir) – Root: זהר (zahar); Form: Preposition לְ + Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to warn”; Notes: Causative sense—“to cause to take warning” or “to admonish.”
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the wicked”; Notes: Repetition highlights the moral identity of the person in question.
- 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 or life path from which he should turn.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: הוא (hu); Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Emphatic subject referring to the wicked individual.
- רָשָׁע (rashaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a wicked man”; Notes: Repetition underscores the persistence of guilt.
- בַּעֲוֹנֹו (baʿavono) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “in his iniquity”; Notes: Expresses the cause of his death—his own sin.
- יָמוּת (yamuth) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he shall die”; Notes: Predictive aspect of divine judgment on the unrepentant.
- וְדָמֹו (ve-damo) – Root: דם (dam); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and his blood”; Notes: Symbol of moral liability for another’s death.
- מִיָּדְךָ (mi-yadkha) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular construct + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “from your hand”; Notes: Indicates accountability—the prophet is held responsible.
- אֲבַקֵּשׁ (avaqqesh) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Piel imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I will require / I will demand”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s determination to hold Ezekiel accountable for neglecting his prophetic duty.