וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יֹאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ בְּנֵ֥י עַמְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר הֲלֹֽוא־תַגִּ֥יד לָ֖נוּ מָה־אֵ֥לֶּה לָּֽךְ׃
And when the sons of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not tell us what these are to you?’
Morphology
- וְכַאֲשֶׁר (ve-kaʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + relative particle; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Introduces a conditional or temporal clause anticipating the people’s inquiry.
- יֹאמְרוּ (yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they speak” or “they say”; Notes: Refers to the speech of Yisraʾel’s people questioning the prophet’s symbolic act.
- אֵלֶיךָ (ʾeleykha) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks Ezekiel as the one being addressed by the people.
- בְּנֵי (bnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Indicates members or descendants—here referring to the people of Yisraʾel.
- עַמְּךָ (ʿammekha) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your people”; Notes: Refers to Ezekiel’s fellow exiles or countrymen.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the direct quotation of the people’s question.
- הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “will you not” or “is it not”; Notes: Used to form an expectant question anticipating an affirmative response.
- תַגִּיד (taggid) – Root: נגד (nagad); Form: Hiphil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you tell” or “you declare”; Notes: Expresses a request or challenge—asking the prophet to explain the meaning of the symbolic action.
- לָנוּ (lanu) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Marks the recipients of the expected explanation—the people of Yisraʾel.
- מָה (mah) – Root: —; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Requests the interpretation or significance of the symbolic objects.
- אֵלֶּה (ʾelleh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the two sticks Ezekiel has joined together in the previous verses.
- לָּךְ (lakh) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates personal possession or relation—“what these are to you.”