כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י הָלֹ֤ךְ וְעָֽמַדְתָּ֙ בְּשַׁ֣עַר בְּנֵֽי־עָם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָבֹ֤אוּ בֹו֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַאֲשֶׁ֖ר יֵ֣צְאוּ בֹ֑ו וּבְכֹ֖ל שַׁעֲרֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
Thus said YHWH to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the sons of the people by which the kings of Yehuda enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Yerushalayim.
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces divine speech—standard prophetic formula.
- אָמַ֨ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Narrative verb introducing YHWH’s command.
- יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker of the command.
- אֵלַ֗י (ʾelai) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates the recipient of the divine speech—Yirmeyahu.
- הָלֹ֤ךְ (halokh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “Go”; Notes: Functions as an imperative in context.
- וְעָֽמַדְתָּ֙ (ve-ʿamadtah) – Root: עמד; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and stand”; Notes: Imperative sequence following the infinitive absolute.
- בְּשַׁ֣עַר (be-shaʿar) – Root: שער; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in the gate”; Notes: Refers to the city gate as place of gathering and proclamation.
- בְּנֵֽי־עָם (bene ʿam) – Root: בן, עם; Form: Construct noun + noun masculine singular; Translation: “of the sons of the people”; Notes: Possibly a designation for common citizens or a specific gate’s name.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces two relative clauses about royal movement.
- יָבֹ֤אוּ (yavoʾu) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they enter”; Notes: Describes repeated royal entry.
- בֹו (vo) – Root: בוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “through it”; Notes: Refers to the gate just mentioned.
- מַלְכֵ֣י (malkei) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “kings of”; Notes: Construct with “Yehudah.”
- יְהוּדָ֔ה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: The southern kingdom of Yisraʾel.
- וַאֲשֶׁ֖ר (va-ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Conjunction + relative pronoun; Translation: “and who”; Notes: Introduces the parallel clause for exit.
- יֵ֣צְאוּ (yetzeʾu) – Root: יצא; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they go out”; Notes: Completes the entry/exit dynamic.
- בֹ֑ו (vo) – Root: בוא; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “through it”; Notes: Same gate used for both entering and exiting.
- וּבְכֹ֖ל (u-ve-khol) – Root: כל; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and in all”; Notes: Extends the command beyond one gate.
- שַׁעֲרֵ֥י (shaʿarei) – Root: שער; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “gates of”; Notes: Refers collectively to Jerusalem’s city gates.
- יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם (Yerushalayim) – Root: ירושלם; Form: Proper noun feminine singular; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: Capital city, the center of prophetic proclamation and judgment.