וְאָזְנֶ֨יךָ֙ תִּשְׁמַ֣עְנָה דָבָ֔ר מֵֽאַחֲרֶ֖יךָ לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֤ה הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ לְכ֣וּ בֹ֔ו כִּ֥י תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ וְכִ֥י תַשְׂמְאִֽילוּ׃
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Morphology
- וְאָזְנֶ֨יךָ (ve-oznekha) – Root: אוזן; Form: Noun feminine dual + 2ms suffix; Translation: “and your ears”; Notes: Dual form indicating both ears.
- תִּשְׁמַ֣עְנָה (tishmaʿnah) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “shall hear”; Notes: Refers to the ears, feminine plural subject.
- דָבָ֔ר (davar) – Root: דבר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a word”; Notes: Direct object of “shall hear.”
- מֵֽאַחֲרֶ֖יךָ (me-aḥareikha) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural + 2ms suffix; Translation: “from behind you”; Notes: Indicates source of the voice.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- זֶ֤ה (zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “This”; Notes: Points to the following phrase.
- הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ (ha-derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the way”; Notes: Apposition to “this.”
- לְכ֣וּ (lekhu) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “walk!”; Notes: Direct command.
- בֹ֔ו (bo) – Root: בוא; Form: Preposition + 3ms suffix; Translation: “in it”; Notes: Refers back to “the way.”
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when” or “for”; Notes: Introduces conditional or causal clauses.
- תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ (ta’aminu) – Root: אמן; Form: Hiphil imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you turn to the right”; Notes: Likely related to the sense of turning faithfully or confidently; some manuscripts suggest vocal corruption; contextually, possibly from ימן.
- וְכִ֥י (ve-ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Parallel structure with previous clause.
- תַשְׂמְאִֽילוּ (tasme’ilu) – Root: שׂמא; Form: Hiphil imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you turn to the left”; Notes: From the root related to turning left; parallel to “ta’aminu.”