אֱמָר־נָ֗א אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל֙ פַּחַ֣ת יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֶל־יְהֹושֻׁ֥עַ בֶּן־יְהֹוצָדָ֖ק הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֑ול וְאֶל־שְׁאֵרִ֥ית הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃
“Speak now to Zerubbavel son of She’alti’el, governor of Yehuda, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotsadaq the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying:
Morphology
- אֱמָר־נָא (emar-na) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Imperative masculine singular + particle נָא “please / now”; Translation: “speak now”; Notes: נָא adds politeness or urgency to the command.
- אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל (el-Zerubbavel) – Root: זרב (zrb) historically debated; Form: Preposition אֶל + proper noun; Translation: “to Zerubbavel”; Notes: Zerubbavel is governor of Yehudah during the early Persian period.
- בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל (ben-She’alti’el) – Root: שאל (shaʾal); Form: Construct noun “son of” + proper name; Translation: “son of She’alti’el”; Notes: She’alti’el is a post-exilic Davidic descendant.
- פַּחַת (paḥat) – Root: פחת (paḥat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “governor”; Notes: Persian administrative title, often used in Ezra–Nehemiah.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: ידה (yadah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Province of Judah under Persian rule.
- וְאֶל־יְהֹושֻׁעַ (ve-el-Yehoshua) – Root: ישע (yashaʿ); Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and to Yehoshua”; Notes: Yehoshua is the high priest of the restored community.
- בֶּן־יְהֹוצָדָק (ben-Yehotsadaq) – Root: צדק (tsadaq); Form: Construct noun “son of” + proper name; Translation: “son of Yehotsadaq”; Notes: Priestly lineage.
- הַכֹּהֵן (ha-kohen) – Root: כּהן (khn); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: References his official status.
- הַגָּדֹול (ha-gadol) – Root: גדל (gdl); Form: Definite adjective masculine singular; Translation: “the high”; Notes: Forms the compound title “the high priest.”
- וְאֶל־שְׁאֵרִית (ve-el-she’erit) – Root: שׁאר (shaʾar); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “and to the remnant of”; Notes: Technical post-exilic term for the faithful survivors of exile.
- הָעָם (ha-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the people”; Notes: Represents the restored Judean community.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the direct divine message.