חֲרַשְׁתֶּם־רֶ֛שַׁע עַוְלָ֥תָה קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם פְּרִי־כָ֑חַשׁ כִּֽי־בָטַ֥חְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ֖ בְּרֹ֥ב גִּבֹּורֶֽיךָ׃
You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men.
Morphology
- חֲרַשְׁתֶּם (ḥarashtem) – Root: חרשׁ (ḥarash); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “You have plowed”; Notes: Continues the agricultural metaphor from the previous verse, symbolizing deliberate moral corruption—cultivating wickedness instead of righteousness.
- רֶשַׁע (reshaʿ) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “wickedness”; Notes: Represents the moral seed sown—acts of injustice and rebellion against YHWH.
- עַוְלָתָה (ʿavlatah) – Root: עול (ʿaval); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “injustice”; Notes: The product of their evil cultivation; moral crookedness that yields destruction instead of fruitfulness.
- קְצַרְתֶּם (qetsartem) – Root: קצר (qatsar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have reaped”; Notes: Harvest imagery continues—what was sown in sin is reaped in ruin.
- אֲכַלְתֶּם (ʾakhaltem) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have eaten”; Notes: Implies the people partook in the consequences of their own deceit, feeding on falsehood and corruption.
- פְּרִי־כָחַשׁ (peri-khaḥash) – Root: כחשׁ (kaḥash); Form: Construct phrase: noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “fruit of lies”; Notes: Symbolic of deceitful outcomes—false security and idolatrous trust bringing emptiness.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for divine judgment and their downfall.
- בָטַחְתָּ (bataḥta) – Root: בטח (bataḥ); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you trusted”; Notes: Indicates misplaced confidence—trust in human strength instead of divine protection.
- בְדַרְכְּךָ (be-darkekha) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular + suffix 2ms; Translation: “in your way”; Notes: Refers to self-reliant conduct or political schemes contrary to YHWH’s guidance.
- בְּרֹב (be-rov) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “in the multitude of”; Notes: Denotes abundance or numerical strength—here describing military power or human resources.
- גִּבֹּורֶיךָ (gibboreikha) – Root: גבר (gavar); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 2ms; Translation: “your mighty men”; Notes: Refers to warriors or leaders on whom Yisraʾel wrongly relied for protection instead of trusting in YHWH.