וְאַתָּ֨ה בֶן־אָדָ֜ם קַח־לְךָ֣ חֶ֣רֶב חַדָּ֗ה תַּ֤עַר הַגַּלָּבִים֙ תִּקָּחֶ֣נָּה לָּ֔ךְ וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ֥ עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ֖ וְעַל־זְקָנֶ֑ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ לְךָ֛ מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִשְׁקָ֖ל וְחִלַּקְתָּֽם׃
“And you, son of man, take for yourself a sharp sword, a barber’s razor you shall take it for yourself, and you shall cause it to pass upon your head and upon your beard; then you shall take for yourself balances of weight and divide them.
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-atta) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular with conjunction; Translation: “and you”; Notes: Direct address to Ezekiel with emphasis.
- בֶן־אָדָם (ben-adam) – Root: בן + אדם; Form: Construct chain; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Prophetic title addressing Ezekiel.
- קַח (qaḥ) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal imperative 2ms; Translation: “take”; Notes: Direct command initiating prophetic action.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: לך; Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Reflexive nuance: the act is for his own use.
- חֶרֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “sword”; Notes: Instrument of symbolic action.
- חַדָּה (ḥaddah) – Root: חדד; Form: Adjective feminine singular; Translation: “sharp”; Notes: Qualifies the sword’s nature.
- תַּעַר (taʿar) – Root: תער; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “razor”; Notes: Specific instrument used metaphorically as a barber’s razor.
- הַגַּלָּבִים (ha-gallavim) – Root: גלב; Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the barbers”; Notes: Designates razor associated with barbers’ work.
- תִּקָּחֶנָּה (tiqqaḥennah) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal imperfect 2ms + 3fs suffix; Translation: “you shall take it”; Notes: Refers to taking the sword/razor for use.
- לָּךְ (lakh) – Root: לך; Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Again stresses personal performance of the sign-act.
- וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ (ve-haʿavarta) – Root: עבר; Form: Hiphil perfect 2ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “and you shall cause to pass”; Notes: Causative action of moving the razor over head/beard.
- עַל־רֹאשְׁךָ (ʿal-roʾshkha) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + 2ms suffix; Translation: “upon your head”; Notes: Target of the shaving action.
- וְעַל־זְקָנֶךָ (ve-ʿal-zekanekha) – Root: זקן; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + 2ms suffix; Translation: “and upon your beard”; Notes: Parallel object of the shaving ritual.
- וְלָקַחְתָּ (ve-laqaḥta) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal perfect 2ms with vav consecutive; Translation: “and you shall take”; Notes: Further instruction following shaving act.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: לך; Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix (repeated); Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Emphasizes personal action again.
- מֹאזְנֵי (moznei) – Root: אזן; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “balances of”; Notes: Refers to scales used for weighing.
- מִשְׁקָל (mishqal) – Root: שׁקל; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “weight”; Notes: Used with balances to measure precisely.
- וְחִלַּקְתָּם (ve-ḥillaqtam) – Root: חלק; Form: Piel perfect 2ms + 3mp suffix with vav consecutive; Translation: “and you shall divide them”; Notes: Command to divide the hair into weighed portions as part of prophetic symbolism.