עַמִּי֙ בְּעֵצֹ֣ו יִשְׁאָ֔ל וּמַקְלֹ֖ו יַגִּ֣יד לֹ֑ו כִּ֣י ר֤וּחַ זְנוּנִים֙ הִתְעָ֔ה וַיִּזְנ֖וּ מִתַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
My people ask counsel from their piece of wood, and their staff declares to them; for the spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the harlot from under their God.
Morphology
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿ-m); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my people”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s lament — despite covenant relationship, the people act as strangers to Him. The possessive suffix underscores divine grief and intimacy.
- בְּעֵצֹו (beʿetso) – Root: עץ (ʿ-ṣ); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “in his wood” or “with his piece of wood”; Notes: Refers to idol or wooden image used for divination — a symbol of absurdity and spiritual blindness.
- יִשְׁאָל (yishʾal) – Root: שׁאל (š-ʾ-l); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “he asks” or “he seeks counsel”; Notes: Describes superstition — seeking divine revelation from inanimate idols instead of YHWH.
- וּמַקְלֹו (u-maqlo) – Root: מקל (m-q-l); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine singular + suffix 3ms; Translation: “and his staff”; Notes: Used for omen-reading or divination. Represents false oracles replacing the true prophetic word.
- יַגִּיד (yaggid) – Root: נגד (n-g-d); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3ms; Translation: “it declares”; Notes: Personification — the staff “speaks” to its owner. Highlights the absurdity of idolatrous divination.
- לֹו (lo) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the supposed revelation; ironically emphasizes the self-deception of idolaters.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the nation’s delusion.
- רוּחַ זְנוּנִים (ruaḥ zenunim) – Root: רוח (r-w-ḥ) + זנה (z-n-h); Form: Noun feminine singular construct phrase; Translation: “a spirit of whoredom”; Notes: A metaphorical expression for the pervasive moral corruption that influences the people — an inner drive toward unfaithfulness and idolatry.
- הִתְעָה (hitʿah) – Root: תעה (ṭ-ʿ-h); Form: Hiphil perfect 3ms; Translation: “has led astray”; Notes: Causative — the spirit actively deceives them. This shows sin’s power as both internal inclination and external seduction.
- וַיִּזְנוּ (vayyiznu) – Root: זנה (z-n-h); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3mp; Translation: “and they committed harlotry”; Notes: Continuation of moral degeneration; the waw-consecutive shows the consequence of deception — spiritual adultery follows delusion.
- מִתַּחַת (mittaḥat) – Root: תחת (t-ḥ-t); Form: Preposition מִן + noun/adverb; Translation: “from under”; Notes: Idiomatic — “from under their God” conveys rebellion and detachment from divine authority.
- אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (ʾelohehem) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their God”; Notes: A poignant close — they sinned not against an impersonal deity but against their covenant God, YHWH Himself.