וְהָיָ֣ה בְּמֹ֣ות הַשֹּׁופֵ֗ט יָשֻׁ֨בוּ֙ וְהִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ מֵֽאֲבֹותָ֔ם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים לְעָבְדָ֖ם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם לֹ֤א הִפִּ֨ילוּ֙ מִמַּ֣עַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם וּמִדַּרְכָּ֖ם הַקָּשָֽׁה׃
And it would be, when the judge died, they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They did not cease from their deeds nor from their stubborn way.
Morphology
- וְהָיָ֣ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And it would be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional or recurring action.
- בְּמֹ֣ות (be-mot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “when [he] died”; Notes: Refers to the judge’s death.
- הַשֹּׁופֵ֗ט (ha-shofet) – Root: שפט (shafat); Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “the judge”; Notes: Refers to the appointed leader.
- יָשֻׁ֨בוּ֙ (yashuvu) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they would turn back”; Notes: Indicates relapse.
- וְהִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ (ve-hishḥitu) – Root: שׁחת (shḥat); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they acted corruptly”; Notes: Refers to moral and religious corruption.
- מֵֽאֲבֹותָ֔ם (me-avotam) – Root: אב (av); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “more than their fathers”; Notes: Indicates worsening behavior.
- לָלֶ֗כֶת (la-lekhet) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to go”; Notes: Describes their pursuit.
- אַֽחֲרֵי֙ (aḥarei) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates following or pursuit.
- אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים (Elohim aḥerim) – Root: אלה (eloah), אחר (aḥar); Form: Noun, masculine plural absolute with adjective; Translation: “other gods”; Notes: Refers to idolatry.
- לְעָבְדָ֖ם (le-ʿovdam) – Root: עבד (avad); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition and 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to serve them”; Notes: Indicates idolatrous worship.
- וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֣ת (u-lehishtaḥavot) – Root: שׁחה (shaḥah); Form: Hishtafel infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “and to bow down”; Notes: Expresses submission.
- לָהֶ֑ם (lahem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the false gods.
- לֹ֤א הִפִּ֨ילוּ֙ (lo-hipilu) – Root: נפל (naphal); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they did not cease”; Notes: Indicates persistence.
- מִמַּ֣עַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם (mi-maʿaleleihem) – Root: עלל (ʿalal); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “from their deeds”; Notes: Refers to actions.
- וּמִדַּרְכָּ֖ם (u-mi-darkam) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “nor from their way”; Notes: Indicates behavior.
- הַקָּשָֽׁה׃ (ha-qashah) – Root: קשׁה (qashah); Form: Adjective, feminine singular absolute with definite article; Translation: “the stubborn”; Notes: Describes their hardened nature.