וְנָתֹ֥ן אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם בָּאֵ֑שׁ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֜ים הֵ֗מָּה כִּ֣י אִם־מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה יְדֵֽי־אָדָ֛ם עֵ֥ץ וָאֶ֖בֶן וַֽיְאַבְּדֽוּם׃
And they put their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone, and they destroyed them.
Morphology
- וְנָתֹ֥ן (ve-naton) – Root: נתן (ntn); Form: Conjunction + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “and to put”; Notes: Parallel to the verb that follows, indicating result or continuation.
- אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם (et-ʾeloheihem) – Root: אלוה (ʾlh); Form: Direct object marker + masculine plural noun in construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their gods”; Notes: Refers to the deities of the conquered nations.
- בָּאֵ֑שׁ (ba-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Preposition + noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “in the fire”; Notes: Describes the fate of the idols.
- כִּי֩ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides the reason.
- לֹ֨א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following nominal clause.
- אֱלֹהִ֜ים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלוה (ʾlh); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “gods”; Notes: In context, refers to false deities.
- הֵ֗מָּה (hemmah) – Root: הם (hm); Form: Independent pronoun, 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic subject pronoun.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: Contrastive use here: “but rather.”
- אִם־מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה (ʾim-maʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿsh); Form: Particle + noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “(but) the work”; Notes: Construct form governing “hands.”
- יְדֵֽי־אָדָ֛ם (yedei-adam) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Dual construct + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “hands of man”; Notes: Emphasizes the human origin of the idols.
- עֵ֥ץ (ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿts); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “wood”; Notes: Material of idols.
- וָאֶ֖בֶן (vaʾeven) – Root: אבן (ʾbn); Form: Conjunction + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “and stone”; Notes: Joined with wood to depict idolatry.
- וַֽיְאַבְּדֽוּם (vayʾabbedum) – Root: אבד (ʾbd); Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and they destroyed them”; Notes: Piel stem intensifies the act of obliteration.