לְתֹורָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־לֹ֖ו שָֽׁחַר׃
To the Torah and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no dawn for them.
Morphology
- לְתֹורָ֖ה (le-torah) – Root: ירה (yarah); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the Torah”; Notes: Refers to divine instruction or teaching, the standard of truth.
- וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה (ve-li-teʿudah) – Root: עוד (ʿud); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and to the testimony”; Notes: Likely prophetic witness or record, paired with Torah as authoritative source.
- אִם־לֹ֤א (im-lo) – Root: אם (ʾim), לא (lo); Form: Conditional particle + negative particle; Translation: “if not”; Notes: Introduces the conditional premise of the sentence.
- יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ (yoʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they speak”; Notes: Refers to any who offer guidance contrary to Torah and testimony.
- כַּדָּבָ֣ר (ka-davar) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “according to the word”; Notes: This word refers to the divine message of Torah and testimony.
- הַזֶּ֔ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies “this word,” i.e., the authoritative divine revelation.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” or “because”; Notes: Introduces the result of the conditional clause.
- אֵֽין־לֹ֖ו (ein-lo) – Root: אין (ʾein), לו (lo); Form: Negative existential particle + preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “there is no to him”; Notes: Idiomatic construction meaning “he has no.”
- שָֽׁחַר (shaḥar) – Root: שחר (shaḥar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “dawn”; Notes: Figuratively means enlightenment, hope, or truth—denoting spiritual darkness in those who reject divine word.