וְהָיָ֣ה אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן אֶשְׁפֹּ֤וךְ אֶת־רוּחִי֙ עַל־כָּל־בָּשָׂ֔ר וְנִבְּא֖וּ בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וּבְנֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ חֲלֹמֹ֣ות יַחֲלֹמ֔וּן בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם חֶזְיֹנֹ֖ות יִרְאֽוּ׃
And it shall be afterward that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
Morphology
- וְהָיָ֣ה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a prophetic declaration of future events.
- אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן (aḥarei-ken) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition + adverb; Translation: “afterward”; Notes: Marks a temporal sequence following the restoration described earlier.
- אֶשְׁפֹּ֤וךְ (ʾeshpokh) – Root: שׁפך (shafakh); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will pour out”; Notes: Denotes abundant outpouring of YHWH’s Spirit upon all people.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: (untranslated); Notes: Introduces the object “My Spirit.”
- רוּחִי֙ (ruḥi) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Noun feminine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “My Spirit”; Notes: Refers to the divine Spirit of YHWH—source of prophecy, wisdom, and life.
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Expresses direction or distribution of the Spirit upon humanity.
- כָּל־ (kol) – Root: כל (kol); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes inclusivity—no class or gender excluded.
- בָּשָׂ֔ר (basar) – Root: בשר (basar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Represents humanity in its totality and frailty.
- וְנִבְּא֖וּ (ve-nibbeʾu) – Root: נבא (nabaʾ); Form: Conjunction + Nifal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “and they shall prophesy”; Notes: Signifies inspired speech under divine influence.
- בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם (beneikhem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your sons”; Notes: Refers to male descendants receiving the Spirit’s empowerment.
- וּבְנֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם (u-venoteikhem) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Conjunction + preposition בְּ + noun feminine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “and your daughters”; Notes: Indicates gender inclusivity in the prophetic outpouring.
- זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ (ziqneikhem) – Root: זקן (zaqan); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your old men”; Notes: Refers to elders who will receive divine revelation through dreams.
- חֲלֹמֹ֣ות (ḥalomot) – Root: חלם (ḥalam); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “dreams”; Notes: Symbolic of divine communication while asleep.
- יַחֲלֹמ֔וּן (yaḥalomun) – Root: חלם (ḥalam); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall dream”; Notes: Describes prophetic dreams granted by YHWH’s Spirit.
- בַּח֣וּרֵיכֶ֔ם (ba-ḥureikhem) – Root: בחור (baḥur); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “your young men”; Notes: Denotes the youth, recipients of visionary revelation.
- חֶזְיֹנֹ֖ות (ḥezyonot) – Root: חזון (ḥazon); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “visions”; Notes: Refers to prophetic or revelatory experiences granted by the Spirit.
- יִרְאֽוּ (yirʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall see”; Notes: Expresses perception or reception of divine revelation through vision.