עָשׁ֥וּק אֶפְרַ֖יִם רְצ֣וּץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֣י הֹואִ֔יל הָלַ֖ךְ אַחֲרֵי־צָֽו׃
Efrayim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he willingly walked after command.
Morphology
- עָשׁוּק (ʿashuq) – Root: עשׁק (ʿ-sh-q); Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “oppressed”; Notes: Describes Ephrayim as exploited or burdened — both politically and spiritually subdued by injustice.
- אֶפְרַיִם (ʾEfrayim) – Root: אפר (ʾ-p-r); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Ephrayim”; Notes: Represents the northern kingdom of Yisraʾel; symbol of corruption and moral decline.
- רְצוּץ (ratsuṣ) – Root: רצץ (r-ṣ-ṣ); Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “crushed”; Notes: Denotes being broken or shattered — a vivid image of moral and judicial ruin.
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpaṭ) – Root: שׁפט (sh-p-ṭ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “justice” or “judgment”; Notes: Indicates the legal and moral order of YHWH — now perverted and violated in Ephrayim’s society.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the cause of Ephrayim’s downfall — his deliberate pursuit of false or human commands.
- הֹואִיל (ho’il) – Root: אול (ʾ-w-l); Form: Hiphil perfect 3ms; Translation: “he willingly” or “he consented”; Notes: Expresses deliberate choice or volition — Ephrayim knowingly chose the wrong path.
- הָלַךְ (halakh) – Root: הלך (h-l-k); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “walked”; Notes: In Hebrew idiom, “to walk after” means to follow or imitate — a spiritual and moral allegiance.
- אַחֲרֵי (ʾaḥarei) – Root: אחר (ʾ-ḥ-r); Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Marks pursuit or devotion — indicates Ephrayim’s following of a false command or human decree rather than YHWH’s Torah.
- צָו (tsav) – Root: צוה (ṣ-w-h); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “command” or “precept”; Notes: Likely refers ironically to humanly invented rules or false religious ordinances — an artificial “command” not from YHWH (cf. Isaiah 28:10, 13).