Jeremiah 10:3

כִּֽי־חֻקֹּ֥ות הָֽעַמִּ֖ים הֶ֣בֶל ה֑וּא כִּֽי־עֵץ֙ מִיַּ֣עַר כְּרָתֹ֔ו מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵ֥י־חָרָ֖שׁ בַּֽמַּעֲצָֽד׃

For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, for it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with the axe.

Morphology

1. כִּֽי־חֻקֹּ֥ות (ki-ḥuqqot) – Root: חקק (ḥaqqaq); Form: Conjunction כִּי + noun feminine plural construct; Translation: “For the statutes”; Notes: Refers to religious or cultural customs of the nations.
2. הָֽעַמִּ֖ים (ha-ʿammim) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the peoples”; Notes: Refers to the nations, especially in contrast to Yisraʾel.
3. הֶ֣בֶל (hevel) – Root: הבל (hevel); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “vanity”; Notes: Indicates futility or worthlessness.
4. ה֑וּא (hu) – Root: Pronoun; Form: 3rd person masculine singular independent pronoun; Translation: “it is”; Notes: Functions as the copula equating “statutes” with “vanity.”
5. כִּֽי־עֵץ (ki-ʿets) – Root: עץ (ʿets); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for it is wood”; Notes: Explains the reason for the vanity—mere wood.
6. מִיַּ֣עַר (mi-yaʿar) – Root: יער (yaʿar); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from the forest”; Notes: Emphasizes the origin of the material used in idolatry.
7. כְּרָתֹ֔ו (kerato) – Root: כרת (karat); Form: Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “its being cut”; Notes: Describes the tree as something felled—passive nuance.
8. מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה (maʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “the work”; Notes: Introduces the artisan’s role in shaping the idol.
9. יְדֵ֥י־חָרָ֖שׁ (yedei-ḥarash) – Root: יד (yad), חרשׁ (ḥarash); Form: Construct dual noun + noun masculine singular; Translation: “of the hands of a craftsman”; Notes: Highlights the human manufacture of the object.
10. בַּֽמַּעֲצָֽד (ba-maʿatsad) – Root: מעצד (maʿatsad); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “with the axe”; Notes: Specifies the tool used by the artisan.