וְגַ֤ם אֶל־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ כִּ֣י זָנ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֜רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָלְכ֧וּ אֲבֹותָ֛ם לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ מִצְוֹת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹא־עָ֥שׂוּ כֵֽן׃
And also to their judges they did not listen, for they went astray after other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers walked, to obey the commandments of YHWH; they did not do so.
Morphology
- וְגַ֤ם (ve-gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “And also”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the statement.
- אֶל־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ (el-shofṭeihem) – Root: שפט (shafat); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to their judges”; Notes: Refers to the leaders YHWH appointed.
- לֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ (lo-shameʿu) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they did not listen”; Notes: Expresses disobedience.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason.
- זָנ֗וּ (zanu) – Root: זנה (zanah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they went astray”; Notes: Often used metaphorically for idolatry.
- אַֽחֲרֵי֙ (aḥarei) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates pursuit.
- אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים (Elohim aḥerim) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah), אחר (aḥar); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute with adjective; Translation: “other gods”; Notes: Refers to idolatry.
- וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ (vayyi-shtaḥavu) – Root: שׁחה (shaḥah); Form: Hishtafel wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they bowed down”; Notes: Act of worship or submission.
- לָהֶ֑ם (lahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the false gods.
- סָ֣רוּ (saru) – Root: סור (sur); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they turned aside”; Notes: Expresses deviation from the right path.
- מַהֵ֗ר (maher) – Root: מהר (mahar); Form: Adverb; Translation: “quickly”; Notes: Indicates immediacy.
- מִן־הַדֶּ֜רֶךְ (min-ha-derekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with preposition; Translation: “from the way”; Notes: Refers to the righteous path.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the description.
- הָלְכ֧וּ (halekhu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they walked”; Notes: Describes their forefathers’ faithfulness.
- אֲבֹותָ֛ם (avotam) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors.
- לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ (lishmoaʿ) – Root: שמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to obey”; Notes: Expresses listening with the intent to act.
- מִצְוֹת־יְהוָ֖ה (mitzvot-YHWH) – Root: מצוה (mitzvah); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with proper noun; Translation: “the commandments of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to divine instructions.
- לֹא־עָ֥שׂוּ (lo-ʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they did not do”; Notes: Denotes disobedience.
- כֵֽן׃ (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Indicates deviation from the correct practice.