דַּבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ הִנֵּה֩ אֲנִ֨י לֹקֵ֜חַ אֶת־עֵ֤ץ יֹוסֵף֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיַד־אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְשִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲבֵרָ֑ו וְנָתַתִּי֩ אֹותָ֨ם עָלָ֜יו אֶת־עֵ֣ץ יְהוּדָ֗ה וַֽעֲשִׂיתִם֙ לְעֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וְהָי֥וּ אֶחָ֖ד בְּיָדִֽי׃
Speak to them, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “Behold, I am taking the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efrayim, and the tribes of Yisraʾel his companions, and I will put them upon it, the stick of Yehudah, and I will make them one stick, and they shall become one in My hand.”’
Morphology
- דַּבֵּר (dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Speak”; Notes: Command for the prophet to deliver YHWH’s message with emphasis or authority.
- אֲלֵהֶם (ʾalehem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Marks the audience—the people of Yisraʾel addressed through the prophet.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces the formal formula of divine speech.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula—“Thus says the Lord YHWH.”
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person suffix (title of majesty); Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Title of authority preceding YHWH’s name.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to YHWH’s immediate and direct action.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes divine subject—YHWH Himself acts.
- לֹקֵחַ (loqe’aḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am taking”; Notes: Indicates an ongoing or imminent divine act of uniting the two kingdoms.
- אֶת־עֵץ (ʾet-ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the stick of”; Notes: Refers to the symbolic object representing a tribal group.
- יֹוסֵף (Yosef) – Root: יסף (yasaf); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yosef”; Notes: Represents the northern kingdom led by the tribe of Ephrayim.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the descriptive clause identifying the stick’s possession.
- בְּיַד־אֶפְרַיִם (be-yad-Ephrayim) – Root: יד (yad), אפרים (Ephrayim); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “in the hand of Ephrayim”; Notes: Indicates Ephrayim’s leadership role over the northern tribes.
- וְשִׁבְטֵי (ve-shivtei) – Root: שבט (shevet); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “and the tribes of”; Notes: Refers to the tribes associated with the northern kingdom.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Collective term for the people descended from Yaʿaqov.
- חֲבֵרָו (ḥaverav) – Root: חבר (ḥaver); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his companions”; Notes: Refers to the allied tribes joined under Ephrayim’s leadership.
- וְנָתַתִּי (ve-natatti) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I will put”; Notes: Indicates divine initiative in merging the divided entities.
- אֹותָם (ʾotam) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker אֵת + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to both symbolic sticks representing the tribes.
- עָלָיו (ʿalav) – Root: —; Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “upon it”; Notes: Indicates unification of both sticks into one.
- אֶת־עֵץ (ʾet-ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the stick of”; Notes: Direct object receiving the action of placement.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Represents the southern kingdom centered in Yerushalayim.
- וַעֲשִׂיתִם (va-ʿasitim) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 1st person singular + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and I will make them”; Notes: YHWH transforms the two into a single symbolic object.
- לְעֵץ (le-ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “into one stick”; Notes: Marks the purpose or result of divine unification.
- אֶחָד (ʾeḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Symbolizes the reunification of Yisraʾel and Yehudah under one leadership.
- וְהָיוּ (ve-hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “and they shall be”; Notes: Expresses the outcome of YHWH’s unifying act.
- אֶחָד (ʾeḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾaḥad); Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Repeated to underscore complete unity.
- בְּיָדִי (be-yadi) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular with suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “in My hand”; Notes: Symbolizes divine control and authority over the reunified nation of Yisraʾel.