וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם מִשְׁמֶ֣רֶת קָדָשָׁ֑י וַתְּשִׂימ֗וּן לְשֹׁמְרֵ֧י מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֛י בְּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י לָכֶֽם׃
And you did not keep the charge of My holy things, but you set others as keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves.
Morphology
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Connects clauses and expresses negation — introducing disobedience.
- שְׁמַרְתֶּם (shemartem) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you kept”; Notes: Refers to guarding or observing YHWH’s commands — here negated, showing failure to protect sacred duties.
- מִשְׁמֶרֶת (mishmeret) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “the charge” or “the duty”; Notes: Denotes a sacred responsibility or entrusted guardianship, often used of priestly or Levitical service.
- קָדָשַׁי (qodashai) – Root: קדשׁ (qadash); Form: Noun masculine plural + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “My holy things”; Notes: Refers to temple offerings and sacred objects dedicated to YHWH’s worship.
- וַתְּשִׂימוּן (va-tesimun) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “but you set” or “you appointed”; Notes: Describes a deliberate act of replacement — unauthorized delegation of sacred duties.
- לְשֹׁמְרֵי (le-shomrei) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “as keepers of”; Notes: Introduces the replacement individuals — those wrongly appointed as temple guards or attendants.
- מִשְׁמַרְתִּי (mishmarti) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Noun feminine singular + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “My charge”; Notes: Refers again to the divinely assigned duty of guarding holiness in the sanctuary.
- בְּמִקְדָּשִׁי (be-miqdashi) – Root: קדשׁ (qadash); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “in My sanctuary”; Notes: Points to the physical and sacred space dedicated to YHWH’s dwelling and worship.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “for yourselves”; Notes: Emphasizes self-interest — they assigned temple duties according to personal preference rather than divine command.