יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְשָׁרְת֤וּ אֹותָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י גִלּֽוּלֵיהֶ֔ם וְהָי֥וּ לְבֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְמִכְשֹׁ֣ול עָוֹ֑ן עַל־כֵּן֩ נָשָׂ֨אתִי יָדִ֜י עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְנָשְׂא֖וּ עֲוֹנָֽם׃
Because they ministered to them before their idols and became to the house of Yisraʾel a stumbling block of iniquity, therefore I have lifted My hand against them,” declares the Lord YHWH, “and they shall bear their iniquity.
Morphology
- יַעַן (yaʿan) – Root: עָנָה (ʿanah); Form: Preposition functioning as a causal particle; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for divine judgment — the Levites’ idolatrous service.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” or “because”; Notes: Connects the clause explaining the cause of punishment.
- יְשָׁרְתוּ (yeshartu) – Root: שׁרת (sharat); Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they ministered”; Notes: Intensive form, describing formal service or priestly activity performed wrongly before idols.
- אֹותָם (otam) – Root: —; Form: Direct object pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the idolatrous people of Yisraʾel whom the Levites served.
- לִפְנֵי (lifnei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before” or “in the presence of”; Notes: Indicates position before their idols in cultic worship.
- גִּלּוּלֵיהֶם (gilluleihem) – Root: גלל (galal); Form: Noun masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their idols”; Notes: Derogatory term meaning “dung-gods,” emphasizing contempt for idolatry.
- וְהָיוּ (ve-hayu) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction; Translation: “and they became”; Notes: Indicates the result of their false service — becoming a cause of sin.
- לְבֵית־יִשְׂרָאֵל (le-beit-Yisraʾel) – Root: בית (bayit) / שרי (sarah); Form: Preposition לְ + construct phrase; Translation: “to the house of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Identifies the nation that stumbled because of the Levites’ sin.
- לְמִכְשֹׁול (le-mikhshol) – Root: כשׁל (kashal); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “a stumbling block”; Notes: Figurative expression for something causing others to sin or fall spiritually.
- עָוֹן (ʿavon) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “iniquity” or “guilt”; Notes: Conveys both moral wrongdoing and its resulting penalty.
- עַל־כֵּן (ʿal-ken) – Root: —; Form: Prepositional phrase; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Signals divine response or consequence to the preceding behavior.
- נָשָׂאתִי (nasati) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Qal perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have lifted”; Notes: Idiomatically, “to lift one’s hand” means to swear or solemnly declare judgment.
- יָדִי (yadi) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Noun feminine singular + 1cs suffix; Translation: “My hand”; Notes: Symbol of divine oath or power — God’s declaration of punitive intent.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “against them”; Notes: Marks those upon whom the divine judgment is directed.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “utterance” or “declaration”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula for divine speech, affirming authority.
- אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (ʾadonai YHWH) – Root: אדן (ʾadon) / היה (hayah); Form: Compound divine title; Translation: “the Lord YHWH”; Notes: Emphasizes sovereign authority and covenantal identity.
- וְנָשְׂאוּ (ve-nasʾu) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction; Translation: “and they shall bear”; Notes: Indicates the bearing of guilt or the suffering of deserved punishment.
- עֲוֹנָם (ʿavonam) – Root: עון (ʿavon); Form: Noun masculine singular + 3mp suffix; Translation: “their iniquity”; Notes: Refers to their culpability and the resulting divine penalty.