אִם־זֹנֶ֤ה אַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַל־יֶאְשַׁ֖ם יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאַל־תָּבֹ֣אוּ הַגִּלְגָּ֗ל וְאַֽל־תַּעֲלוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְע֖וּ חַי־יְהוָֽה׃
If you commit whoredom, O Yisraʾel, let Yehuda not become guilty; and do not come to the Gilgal, and do not go up to Beit Awen, and do not swear, “As YHWH lives.”
Morphology
- אִם־זֹנֶה (ʾim-zoneh) – Root: זנה (z-n-h); Form: Particle אִם + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “if you commit whoredom”; Notes: Conditional particle introduces rebuke; “whoredom” symbolizes idolatry and covenant betrayal.
- אַתָּה (ʾattah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Adds emphasis—YHWH directly addresses Yisraʾel with personal confrontation.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרי (ś-r-y); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Represents the northern kingdom; the nation known for covenant infidelity and cultic corruption.
- אַל־יֶאְשַׁם (ʾal-yeʾsham) – Root: אשם (ʾ-š-m); Form: Negative particle אַל + Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “let not become guilty”; Notes: Exhortation that Yehudah not imitate Yisraʾel’s idolatry or share its guilt.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: ידה (y-d-h); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: The southern kingdom; still relatively faithful at this stage but warned not to follow northern corruption.
- וְאַל־תָּבֹאוּ (veʾal-tavoʾu) – Root: בוא (b-w-ʾ); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle + Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “and do not come”; Notes: Prohibition against pilgrimage to polluted sanctuaries.
- הַגִּלְגָּל (haggilgal) – Root: גלגל (g-l-g-l); Form: Definite article + proper noun; Translation: “the Gilgal”; Notes: Once sacred, now corrupted by idol worship. A warning not to profane sacred memory.
- וְאַל־תַּעֲלוּ (veʾal-taʿalu) – Root: עלה (ʿ-l-h); Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “and do not go up”; Notes: Refers to ritual ascent—pilgrimage to idolatrous shrines.
- בֵּית אָוֶן (beit aven) – Root: און (ʾ-w-n); Form: Construct chain noun masculine singular + noun masculine singular; Translation: “house of iniquity”; Notes: Derisive renaming of *Bethel* (“House of God”) as *Beit-Awen* (“House of Evil”) due to idolatrous worship of calves (cf. Hos. 10:5).
- וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְעוּ (veʾal-tishshaveʿu) – Root: שׁבע (š-b-ʿ); Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Niphal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “and do not swear”; Notes: Refers to swearing oaths in YHWH’s name hypocritically, while engaging in idolatry.
- חַי־יְהוָה (ḥai-YHWH) – Root: חיה (ḥ-y-h); Form: Adjective masculine singular + proper name; Translation: “As YHWH lives”; Notes: A common oath formula; here condemned as blasphemous since it is uttered by those living in spiritual adultery.