וַיֹּאמֶר֮ אֵלַי֒ בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הָעֲצָמֹ֣ות הָאֵ֔לֶּה כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵ֑מָּה הִנֵּ֣ה אֹמְרִ֗ים יָבְשׁ֧וּ עַצְמֹותֵ֛ינוּ וְאָבְדָ֥ה תִקְוָתֵ֖נוּ נִגְזַ֥רְנוּ לָֽנוּ׃
And He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Yisraʾel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for ourselves.’
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And He said”; Notes: Continues divine speech, introducing the explanation of the vision.
- אֵלַי (ʾelai) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Denotes direct divine communication to Ezekiel.
- בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Title emphasizing Ezekiel’s humanity in contrast to YHWH’s sovereignty.
- הָעֲצָמֹות (ha-ʿatsamot) – Root: עצם (ʿetsem); Form: Definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “the bones”; Notes: Refers to the symbolic bones from the vision representing the nation’s condition.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: —; Form: Definite article הַ + demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the same bones earlier described as lifeless and dry.
- כָּל־בֵּית (kol-beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular construct preceded by the adjective כָּל; Translation: “all the house of”; Notes: Introduces a collective reference encompassing all of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Represents the entire covenant community, now viewed as spiritually dead and dispersed.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they are”; Notes: Provides identification—these bones symbolize the whole nation.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Introduces the quotation that reveals Yisraʾel’s despairing self-perception.
- אֹמְרִים (ʾomrim) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “they say”; Notes: Present continuous—expresses the people’s ongoing lamentation.
- יָבְשׁוּ (yaveshu) – Root: יבשׁ (yavesh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “are dried”; Notes: Indicates total lifelessness and hopelessness—metaphor for spiritual death.
- עַצְמֹותֵינוּ (ʿatsmoteinu) – Root: עצם (ʿetsem); Form: Noun feminine plural + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “our bones”; Notes: Personalizes the lament, showing identification with the desolation of the bones.
- וְאָבְדָה (veʾavdah) – Root: אבד (ʾavad); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and is lost”; Notes: Describes their hope as perished or destroyed—utter despair.
- תִּקְוָתֵנוּ (tiqvatenu) – Root: קוה (qavah); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “our hope”; Notes: Refers to the expectation of restoration or deliverance—now viewed as gone.
- נִגְזַרְנוּ (nigzarnu) – Root: גזר (gazar); Form: Nifal perfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we are cut off”; Notes: Passive sense—signifies separation from covenant life and divine favor.
- לָנוּ (lanu) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “for ourselves”; Notes: Conveys isolation—Yisraʾel feels abandoned and beyond hope of divine rescue.