וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֵלַ֜י הָאִ֗ישׁ בֶּן־אָדָ֡ם רְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶיךָ֩ וּבְאָזְנֶ֨יךָ שְּׁמָ֜ע וְשִׂ֣ים לִבְּךָ֗ לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אֹותָ֔ךְ כִּ֛י לְמַ֥עַן הַרְאֹותְכָ֖ה הֻבָ֣אתָה הֵ֑נָּה הַגֵּ֛ד אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And the man spoke to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I am showing you, for in order that I might show you were you brought here; declare all that you see to the house of Yisraʾel.”
Morphology
- וַיְדַבֵּר (va-yedabber) – Root: דבר (dābar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Piel wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “and he spoke”; Notes: Piel form intensifies the act of speaking, indicating authoritative communication.
- אֵלַי (ʾēlay) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks Ezekiel as the recipient of divine or angelic address.
- הָאִישׁ (ha-ʾīsh) – Root: אישׁ (ʾīsh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Refers to the radiant angelic figure who serves as Ezekiel’s heavenly guide.
- בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-ʾādām) – Root: בן (ben) + אדם (ʾādām); Form: Construct chain: noun + noun; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: A divine address emphasizing Ezekiel’s humanity in contrast to the divine speaker.
- רְאֵה (reʾeh) – Root: ראה (rāʾāh); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “see”; Notes: Command to perceive attentively the forthcoming vision.
- בְעֵינֶיךָ (be-ʿeineykha) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine dual + suffix 2ms; Translation: “with your eyes”; Notes: Physical perception serves as a metaphor for spiritual insight.
- וּבְאָזְנֶיךָ (u-beʾozneykha) – Root: אזן (ʾōzen); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition בְּ + noun feminine dual + suffix 2ms; Translation: “and with your ears”; Notes: Emphasizes complete sensory engagement with divine revelation.
- שְׁמָע (shemāʿ) – Root: שׁמע (shāmaʿ); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “hear”; Notes: Command to obey and internalize the message, not just listen audibly.
- וְשִׂים (ve-sīm) – Root: שׂים (sīm); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “and set”; Notes: Implies mental or spiritual focus and intentionality.
- לִבְּךָ (libbekha) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular + suffix 2ms; Translation: “your heart”; Notes: Symbol of understanding and discernment in Hebrew anthropology.
- לְכֹל (le-khol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to all”; Notes: Refers to totality of what will be revealed.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” / “which”; Notes: Connects to what YHWH shows the prophet.
- אֲנִי (ʾanī) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1cs; Translation: “I”; Notes: The divine speaker refers to Himself as the revealer.
- מַרְאֶה (marʾeh) – Root: ראה (rāʾāh); Form: Hiphil participle masculine singular; Translation: “showing”; Notes: Ongoing divine action of revealing in vision.
- אֹותָךְ (ʾotakh) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object pronoun 2ms; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers specifically to Ezekiel as recipient of the vision.
- כִּי (kī) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces causal explanation for the prophet’s presence in the vision.
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “for the purpose of”; Notes: Indicates divine intent—Ezekiel was brought for a revelatory purpose.
- הַרְאֹותְכָה (harʾotkha) – Root: ראה (rāʾāh); Form: Hiphil infinitive construct + suffix 2ms; Translation: “showing you”; Notes: The infinitive expresses purpose—YHWH’s intent to make the prophet see.
- הֻבָאתָה (hubāʾtāh) – Root: בוא (bōʾ); Form: Hophal perfect 2ms; Translation: “you were brought”; Notes: Passive divine action—Ezekiel is transported by God’s power.
- הֵנָּה (hennāh) – Root: הנה (hinneh); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “here”; Notes: Deictic reference to the visionary setting.
- הַגֵּד (haggēd) – Root: נגד (nāgad); Form: Hiphil imperative masculine singular; Translation: “declare”; Notes: Command to communicate the vision faithfully to Yisraʾel.
- אֶת־כָּל (ʾet-kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Direct object marker אֶת + noun masculine singular; Translation: “all”; Notes: Refers to the totality of the prophet’s vision.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” / “which”; Notes: Connects the direct object clause to the verb “see.”
- אַתָּה (ʾattāh) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 2ms; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphasizes personal responsibility in conveying the vision.
- רֹאֶה (roʾeh) – Root: ראה (rāʾāh); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “see” / “are seeing”; Notes: Indicates Ezekiel’s active role in perceiving the divine revelation.
- לְבֵית (le-veit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “to the house of”; Notes: Identifies the audience of Ezekiel’s prophetic message.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שׂרה (śārāh) + אֵל (ʾēl); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Represents the covenant people of YHWH, to whom the vision is to be declared.