כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות לֵאמֹ֑ר הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹ֥א עֶת־בֹּ֛א עֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה לְהִבָּנֹֽות׃ פ
“Thus says YHWH of Hosts, saying: ‘This people has said, “Not the time has come, the time for the house of YHWH to be built.”’”
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Standard introductory formula for prophetic speech.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “says”; Notes: Used in prophetic declarations as a present-tense formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker of the oracle.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsavaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “of Hosts”; Notes: Title emphasizing YHWH’s command over heavenly armies.
- לֵאמֹר (le-emor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the quoted divine speech.
- הָעָם (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Refers to the returned exiles.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Used emphatically to highlight their attitude.
- אָמְרוּ (amru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3cp; Translation: “has said”; Notes: Introduces the people’s reported statement.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Marks negation.
- עֶת (ʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “time”; Notes: Used here twice for emphasis.
- בֹּא (bo) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to come”; Notes: Linked with the earlier “time” to express arrival of an appointed moment.
- עֶת (ʿet) – Root: עת (ʿet); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “time”; Notes: Repetition underscores their excuse.
- בֵּית (beit) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “the house of”; Notes: Refers to the Temple.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Possessor of the Temple.
- לְהִבָּנוֹת (le-hibbanot) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Preposition לְ + Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to be built”; Notes: The passive form stresses the Temple’s incomplete state.