וְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ הִנֵּ֨ה אֲנִ֤י לֹקֵ֨חַ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִבֵּ֥ין הַגֹּויִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָֽלְכוּ־שָׁ֑ם וְקִבַּצְתִּ֤י אֹתָם֙ מִסָּבִ֔יב וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י אֹותָ֖ם אֶל־אַדְמָתָֽם׃
And speak to them, ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH: “Behold, I am taking the sons of Yisraʾel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.
Morphology
- וְדַבֵּר (ve-dabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Piel imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and speak”; Notes: Divine command to proclaim YHWH’s message of restoration.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾalehem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Identifies the audience—Yisraʾel, symbolized by the joined sticks.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces an authoritative declaration from YHWH.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Formulaic expression signaling divine speech.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Noun masculine plural with 1st person suffix (title of respect); Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Title denoting sovereignty and authority of YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of the covenant God of Yisraʾel.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Signals a significant or imminent divine act.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasizes YHWH’s direct involvement in the restoration of His people.
- לֹקֵחַ (loqe’aḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “am taking”; Notes: Depicts ongoing divine action—YHWH reclaiming His scattered people.
- אֶת־בְּנֵי (ʾet-bnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “the sons of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants or people of Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Represents the entire covenant nation of God, both northern and southern tribes.
- מִבֵּין (mi-bein) – Root: בין (bein); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from among”; Notes: Indicates extraction from the nations among whom they were dispersed.
- הַגֹּויִם (ha-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the nations”; Notes: Refers to the foreign peoples among whom Yisraʾel was scattered in exile.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “where” or “which”; Notes: Connects the clause identifying the nations of dispersion.
- הָלְכוּ (halekhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have gone”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel’s exile among the nations.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: —; Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies the location of their dispersion.
- וְקִבַּצְתִּי (ve-kibbasti) – Root: קבץ (qavats); Form: Conjunction וְ + Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I will gather”; Notes: Piel form intensifies the action—YHWH’s deliberate regathering of His people.
- אֹתָם (ʾotam) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker אֵת + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the dispersed people of Yisraʾel.
- מִסָּבִיב (mi-saviv) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Preposition מִן + adverb; Translation: “from every side”; Notes: Depicts total geographical restoration—from all directions of the earth.
- וְהֵבֵאתִי (ve-heveti) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + Hiphil perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I will bring”; Notes: Causative form—YHWH Himself brings His people back to their land.
- אֹותָם (ʾotam) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker אֵת + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Direct object of “I will bring.”
- אֶל־אַדְמָתָם (ʾel-admatam) – Root: אדמה (adamah); Form: Preposition אֶל + noun feminine singular with suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “into their land”; Notes: Refers to the promised land of Yisraʾel—symbol of covenantal restoration.