שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֨את הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְהַקְשִׁ֣יבוּ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּבֵ֤ית הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ כִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּֽי־פַח֙ הֱיִיתֶ֣ם לְמִצְפָּ֔ה וְרֶ֖שֶׁת פְּרוּשָׂ֥ה עַל־תָּבֹֽור׃
Hear this, O priests; give ear, O house of Yisraʾel; and listen, O house of the king, because the judgment is for you. For you have been a snare at Mitspa, and a net spread upon Tavor.
Morphology
- שִׁמְעוּ (shimʿu) – Root: שׁמע (sh-m-ʿ); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “hear”; Notes: A call to attentive obedience; introduces a prophetic rebuke directed to multiple audiences.
- זֹאת (zot) – Root: זהה (z-h-h); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the prophetic word or message that follows.
- הַכֹּהֲנִים (hakkohanim) – Root: כהן (k-h-n); Form: Definite article + noun masculine plural; Translation: “the priests”; Notes: Religious leaders responsible for guiding worship yet now indicted for leading the people astray.
- וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ (vehakshivu) – Root: קשׁב (q-sh-b); Form: Hiphil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “give ear” or “listen attentively”; Notes: Stronger than “hear”—demands thoughtful attention and reflection.
- בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל (beit Yisraʾel) – Root: בית (b-y-t) + שׂראל (s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Construct chain: “house of Yisraʾel”; Translation: “house of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers collectively to the northern kingdom.
- וּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ (uveit hammelekh) – Root: בית (b-y-t) + מלך (m-l-k); Form: Conjunction + construct + definite noun; Translation: “and house of the king”; Notes: Addresses the royal household; political authority included in divine judgment.
- הַאֲזִינוּ (haʾazinu) – Root: אזן (ʾ-z-n); Form: Hiphil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “listen”; Notes: Carries connotation of paying heed; used frequently in poetic or solemn declarations.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because” or “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the prophetic indictment.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition לְ + pronominal suffix 2mp; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Indicates that the coming judgment directly concerns the addressed groups.
- הַמִּשְׁפָּט (hammishpat) – Root: שׁפט (sh-p-t); Form: Definite article + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the judgment”; Notes: Refers to divine legal proceedings; YHWH as the supreme judge.
- כִּי־פַח (ki-faḥ) – Root: פחח (p-ḥ-ḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for a snare”; Notes: “Pah” denotes a trap for birds; symbolizing deceit and entrapment.
- הֱיִיתֶם (heyitem) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Qal perfect 2mp; Translation: “you have been”; Notes: Links past conduct with present guilt; the leaders became instruments of spiritual ruin.
- לְמִצְפָּה (lemitspah) – Root: צפה (ts-p-h); Form: Preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “to Mitspah”; Notes: A site of religious activity—possibly corrupted into idolatry.
- וְרֶשֶׁת (vereshet) – Root: רשת (r-sh-t); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and a net”; Notes: Paired with “snare” for poetic parallelism; evokes imagery of total entrapment.
- פְּרוּשָׂה (perusah) – Root: פרשׂ (p-r-s); Form: Pual participle feminine singular; Translation: “spread out”; Notes: The passive participle emphasizes a pre-set trap awaiting victims.
- עַל־תָּבֹור (ʿal-Tavor) – Root: תבור (t-b-w-r); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “upon Tavor”; Notes: Refers to Mount Tabor, another site of worship—ironically a place of enticement rather than holiness.