כָּ֗כָה עָשָׂ֤ה לָכֶם֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל מִפְּנֵ֖י רָעַ֣ת רָֽעַתְכֶ֑ם בַּשַּׁ֕חַר נִדְמֹ֥ה נִדְמָ֖ה מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Thus has Beit-el done to you because of the evil of your evil; at dawn the king of Yisraʾel shall be utterly cut off.
Morphology
- כָּכָה (kakhah) – Root: כֹּה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Introduces the concluding declaration—linking the preceding destruction with divine retribution upon Yisraʾel.
- עָשָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has done”; Notes: Describes the action of YHWH or His judgment executed through Beit-El, symbol of apostate worship.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 2mp; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addresses the people directly—indicating YHWH’s judgment upon the nation.
- בֵּית־אֵל (Beit-El) – Root: בית (bayit) + אל (ʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Beit-El”; Notes: Literally “House of God,” but here represents the idolatrous cult center whose false worship led to judgment.
- מִפְּנֵי (mippenei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Indicates causation—YHWH’s judgment arises on account of moral corruption.
- רָעַת (raʿat) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “the evil of”; Notes: The doubling (“evil of your evil”) intensifies the moral depravity described.
- רָעַתְכֶם (raʿatkhem) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your evil”; Notes: Refers collectively to Yisraʾel’s habitual rebellion and idolatry.
- בַּשַּׁחַר (ba-shaḥar) – Root: שׁחר (shaḥar); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “at dawn”; Notes: Symbolizes the sudden timing of destruction—often when least expected.
- נִדְמֹה (nidmoh) – Root: דמה (damah); Form: Niphal infinitive absolute; Translation: “utterly cut off”; Notes: The infinitive absolute paired with a finite verb intensifies the meaning—“surely destroyed.”
- נִדְמָה (nidmah) – Root: דמה (damah); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is cut off”; Notes: Completes the emphatic construction, underscoring total annihilation.
- מֶלֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “king”; Notes: Refers to the ruler of the northern kingdom—representative of its corrupt leadership.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The nation as a whole—culminating the oracle of judgment with the king’s downfall symbolizing national ruin.