וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבֹות֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלֹוא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃
And when they say to you, “Seek the necromancers and the familiar spirits who chirp and mutter,” should not a people seek unto its God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
Morphology
- וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ (ve-ki-yomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And when they say”; Notes: Introduces a hypothetical future situation.
- אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם (aleikhem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addressed to the prophet or his audience.
- דִּרְשׁוּ (dirshu) – Root: דרשׁ (darash); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Seek!”; Notes: Imperative verb—quoted speech instructing to consult mediums.
- אֶל־הָאֹבֹות (el-haʾovot) – Root: אוב (ʾov); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the necromancers”; Notes: Those who claim to communicate with the dead.
- וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים (ve-el-ha-yiddeʿonim) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “and the familiar spirits”; Notes: Spiritists or diviners forbidden in Torah.
- הַמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים (ha-metsafetsefim) – Root: צפצף (tsafatsaf); Form: Hifil participle masculine plural with article; Translation: “who chirp”; Notes: Imitative sound, mocking the noise of such practices.
- וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים (ve-ha-mahggim) – Root: הגה (hagah); Form: Conjunction + participle masculine plural; Translation: “and who mutter”; Notes: Whispering or incantation typical of sorcerers.
- הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “Should not?”; Notes: Rhetorical question implying an expected affirmative answer.
- עַם (ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a people”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel as a covenant community.
- אֶל־אֱלֹהָיו (el-Elohav) – Root: אל (ʾel), אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “unto its God”; Notes: The one true object of Israel’s inquiry.
- יִדְרֹשׁ (yidrosh) – Root: דרשׁ (darash); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “should seek”; Notes: Continues the rhetorical question challenging illegitimate divination.
- בְּעַד (beʿad) – Root: עד (ʿad); Form: Preposition; Translation: “on behalf of” or “for the sake of”; Notes: Introduces for whom inquiry is being made.
- הַחַיִּים (ha-ḥayyim) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the living”; Notes: The real concern of divine guidance—those who are alive.
- אֶל־הַמֵּתִים (el-ha-metim) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “to the dead”; Notes: Rebuke of necromantic practices—seeking the dead is folly.