וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ הֲנָקֵל֙ לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה מֵעֲשֹׂ֕ות אֶת־הַתֹּועֵבֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשׂוּ־פֹ֑ה כִּֽי־מָלְא֨וּ אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ חָמָ֗ס וַיָּשֻׁ֨בוּ֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְהִנָּ֛ם שֹׁלְחִ֥ים אֶת־הַזְּמֹורָ֖ה אֶל־אַפָּֽם׃
And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man? Is it a light thing for the house of Yehuda to do the abominations which they have done here? For they have filled the land with violence, and they return to provoke me still, and behold, they are putting the branch to their nose.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Continues divine speech to Ezekiel.
- אֵלַי (elay) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks Ezekiel as recipient.
- הֲרָאִיתָ (ha-raʾita) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 2ms interrogative; Translation: “Have you seen?”; Notes: Rhetorical question introducing a rebuke.
- בֶן־אָדָם (ben-adam) – Root: בן, אדם; Form: Construct chain; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Standard divine address to Ezekiel.
- הֲנָקֵל (ha-naqel) – Root: קלל; Form: Hiphil infinitive construct with interrogative; Translation: “is it a light thing?”; Notes: Rhetorical force, questioning severity of actions.
- לְבֵית (le-beit) – Root: בית; Form: Preposition לְ + construct noun; Translation: “for the house of”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Represents the southern kingdom.
- מֵעֲשֹׂות (me-ʿasot) – Root: עשה; Form: Preposition מִן + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “from doing”; Notes: Expresses reason or comparison in the rhetorical question.
- אֶת־הַתֹּועֵבֹות (et-ha-toʿevot) – Root: תעב; Form: Object marker + definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “the abominations”; Notes: Refers to detestable idolatrous practices.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects clause describing what Yehudah has done.
- עָשׂוּ (ʿasu) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “they have done”; Notes: Completed action describing their deeds.
- פֹה (po) – Form: Adverb; Translation: “here”; Notes: Locative, referring to the temple setting.
- כִּי (ki) – Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason clause.
- מָלְאוּ (malʾu) – Root: מלא; Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “they have filled”; Notes: Describes saturation with violence.
- אֶת־הָאָרֶץ (et-ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ; Form: Object marker + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Refers to the land of Yisraʾel.
- חָמָס (ḥamas) – Root: חמס; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “violence”; Notes: Refers to social injustice and oppression.
- וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (va-yashuvu) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “and they return”; Notes: Indicates persistence or repetition of sin.
- לְהַכְעִיסֵנִי (le-hakʿiseni) – Root: כעס; Form: Preposition לְ + Hiphil infinitive construct + 1cs suffix; Translation: “to provoke me”; Notes: Expresses intentional provocation against YHWH.
- וְהִנָּם (ve-hinnam) – Root: particle; Form: Deictic particle + pronoun suffix 3mp; Translation: “and behold, they”; Notes: Emphatic marker introducing their shocking act.
- שֹׁלְחִים (sholḥim) – Root: שׁלח; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are putting/sending”; Notes: Present action, symbolic gesture.
- אֶת־הַזְּמוֹרָה (et-ha-zemorah) – Root: זמר; Form: Object marker + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the branch”; Notes: Rare expression; probably ritualistic gesture of insult or idolatry.
- אֶל־אַפָּם (el-appam) – Root: אף; Form: Preposition אֶל + noun masculine plural + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to their nose”; Notes: Possibly a contemptuous ritual act directed toward YHWH.