וַיֹּ֕אמֶר קְרָ֥א שְׁמֹ֖ו לֹ֣א עַמִּ֑י כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ לֹ֣א עַמִּ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹֽא־אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃
And He said, “Call his name Lo ʿAmmi, for you are not My people, and I will not be for you.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “and He said”; Notes: Marks divine speech introducing the prophetic naming of the third child.
- קְרָא (qera) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “Call”; Notes: A direct divine command to Hoshea, continuing the pattern of symbolic names conveying divine judgment.
- שְׁמֹו (shemō) – Root: שם (š-m); Form: Noun masculine singular + pronominal suffix 3ms; Translation: “his name”; Notes: Refers to the newborn son who embodies the message of broken covenantal identity.
- לֹא עַמִּי (Lo-ʿAmmi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Proper noun (negative particle לֹא + noun masculine singular construct); Translation: “Not My People”; Notes: The name symbolizes the severing of the covenantal relationship between YHWH and Yisraʾel.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (k-y); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the divine rationale behind the symbolic name.
- אַתֶּם (ʾattem) – Root: אתה (ʾ-t-h); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “you (plural)”; Notes: Direct address to the people of Yisraʾel, emphasizing collective alienation.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the covenantal belonging expressed by “My people.”
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1cs pronominal suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Personal possessive suffix underscores the intimacy now rejected by YHWH.
- וְאָנֹכִי (ve-anokhi) – Root: אנכי (ʾ-n-k-y); Form: Independent pronoun 1cs with conjunction; Translation: “and I”; Notes: Serves as emphatic self-reference by YHWH, often marking solemn declarations.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (l-ʾ); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates YHWH’s covenantal commitment in the following verb phrase.
- אֶהְיֶה (ʾehyeh) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Qal imperfect 1cs; Translation: “I will be”; Notes: Alludes to divine self-revelation (“I Am”) now reversed—YHWH declares disengagement.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: אתם (ʾ-t-m); Form: Preposition לְ + pronominal suffix 2mp; Translation: “for you” or “to you”; Notes: Concludes with relational rupture: YHWH will no longer be “for” His people as their God.