וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם שָׂא־נָ֥א עֵינֶ֖יךָ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפֹ֑ונָה וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפֹ֔ונָה וְהִנֵּ֤ה מִצָּפֹון֙ לְשַׁ֣עַר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ סֵ֛מֶל הַקִּנְאָ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה בַּבִּאָֽה׃
And he said to me, “Son of man, lift up now your eyes the way toward the north.” And I lifted my eyes the way toward the north, and behold, from the north to the gate of the altar was this image of jealousy in the entrance.
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Narrative continuation; divine speech to the prophet.
- אֵלַי (elay) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks Ezekiel as addressee.
- בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-adam) – Root: בן, אדם; Form: Noun construct + noun absolute; Translation: “Son of man”; Notes: Prophetic address emphasizing human status.
- שָׂא (sa) – Root: נשא; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “lift up”; Notes: Command directed at Ezekiel.
- נָא (na) – Root: particle; Form: Enclitic particle of entreaty; Translation: “now/please”; Notes: Polite exhortation.
- עֵינֶיךָ (einekha) – Root: עין; Form: Noun feminine dual + 2ms suffix; Translation: “your eyes”; Notes: Dual form referring to both eyes.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “way”; Notes: Denotes direction.
- צָפֹונָה (tsafonah) – Root: צפון; Form: Adverbial direction with he; Translation: “northward”; Notes: Marks cardinal direction.
- וָאֶשָּׂא (va-essa) – Root: נשא; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1cs; Translation: “and I lifted”; Notes: Prophet obeys command.
- עֵינַי (einai) – Root: עין; Form: Noun feminine dual + 1cs suffix; Translation: “my eyes”; Notes: Dual indicates both eyes.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “way”; Notes: Repetition underscores the commanded orientation.
- צָפֹונָה (tsafonah) – Root: צפון; Form: Adverbial direction with he; Translation: “northward”; Notes: Direction repeated to emphasize obedience.
- וְהִנֵּה (ve-hinneh) – Root: particle; Form: Deictic particle; Translation: “and behold”; Notes: Marks sudden perception.
- מִצָּפֹון (mi-tsafon) – Root: צפון; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the north”; Notes: Source of location.
- לְשַׁעַר (le-shaʿar) – Root: שער; Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the gate”; Notes: Locative phrase.
- הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (ha-mizbeaḥ) – Root: זבח; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the altar”; Notes: Refers to temple altar.
- סֵמֶל (semel) – Root: סמל; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “image”; Notes: Idol or representation.
- הַקִּנְאָה (ha-qinʾah) – Root: קנא; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the jealousy”; Notes: Idol inciting YHWH’s zeal.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the specific idol seen.
- בַּבִּאָה (ba-biʾah) – Root: בוא; Form: Preposition בְּ + definite article + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the entrance”; Notes: Marks its location at the gate approach.