Ezekiel 37:16

וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם קַח־לְךָ֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְלִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲבֵרָ֑ו וּלְקַח֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וּכְת֣וֹב עָלָ֗יו לְיוֹסֵף֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְכָל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲבֵרָֽו׃

“And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write upon it: ‘For Yehuda and for the sons of Yisraʾel his companions.’ Then take one stick and write upon it: ‘For Yosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Yisraʾel his companions.’

Morphology

1. וְאַתָּה (ve-ʾattah) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “And you”; Notes: Marks direct address to the prophet, emphasizing personal involvement in the prophetic act.
2. בֶן־אָדָם (ben-ʾadam) – Root: בן (ben), אדם (ʾadam); Form: Construct chain noun masculine singular; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: A title for Ezekiel, stressing his humanity in contrast to divine revelation.
3. קַח־לְךָ (qaḥ-lekha) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular + preposition לְ + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “take for yourself”; Notes: Instruction to perform a symbolic prophetic act.
4. עֵץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “stick” or “piece of wood”; Notes: Represents tribes of Yisraʾel in prophetic symbolism.
5. אֶחָד (ʾeḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Denotes singularity—one symbolic object for each tribal group.
6. וּכְתֹב (u-khetov) – Root: כתב (katav); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and write”; Notes: Commands Ezekiel to label each stick with tribal identification.
7. עָלָיו (ʿalav) – Root: —; Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “upon it”; Notes: Indicates writing directly on the stick’s surface.
8. לִיהוּדָה (li-Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “for Yehudah”; Notes: Represents the southern kingdom of Yehudah.
9. וְלִבְנֵי (ve-li-vnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition לְ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “and for the sons of”; Notes: Connects Yehudah with his associated tribes.
10. יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the northern tribes historically linked to Yehudah.
11. חֲבֵרָו (ḥaverav) – Root: חבר (ḥaver); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his companions”; Notes: Denotes allied or neighboring tribes connected to Yehudah.
12. וּלְקַח (u-leqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and take”; Notes: Repetition reinforces the dual symbolic action.
13. עֵץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “stick”; Notes: Represents another tribal grouping—this time the northern kingdom.
14. אֶחָד (ʾeḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: The second stick signifies the counterpart of Yehudah’s tribe.
15. וּכְתֹוב (u-khetov) – Root: כתב (katav); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and write”; Notes: Repeats the act for the second symbolic object.
16. עָלָיו (ʿalav) – Root: —; Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “upon it”; Notes: The inscription identifies the northern tribes’ association.
17. לְיוֹסֵף (le-Yosef) – Root: יסף (Yosef); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “for Yosef”; Notes: Refers to the leading tribe of the northern kingdom through Ephrayim.
18. עֵץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “stick”; Notes: Symbolic representation of the tribe of Ephrayim and the northern kingdom.
19. אֶפְרַיִם (Ephrayim) – Root: אפרים (Ephrayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ephrayim”; Notes: Represents the dominant tribe in the northern confederation of Yisraʾel.
20. וְכָל־בֵּית (ve-khol-beit) – Root: כל (kol), בית (beit); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “and all the house of”; Notes: Encompasses the totality of tribes associated with Ephrayim.
21. יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers collectively to the northern tribes under Ephrayim’s leadership.
22. חֲבֵרָיו (ḥaverav) – Root: חבר (ḥaver); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his companions”; Notes: Denotes the associated tribes forming unity with Ephrayim, symbolizing national reunification.