וְלֹ֣א שָֽׁמְע֔וּ וְלֹ֥א הִטּ֖וּ אֶת־אָזְנָ֑ם וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עָרְפָּ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֣י שֶׂומע וּלְבִלְתִּ֖י קַ֥חַת מוּסָֽר׃
But they did not listen, and they did not incline their ear, and they stiffened their neck, in order not to hear and not to receive discipline.
Morphology
- וְלֹ֣א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “but not”; Notes: Introduces negation in contrast to the previous command.
- שָֽׁמְע֔וּ (shamʿu) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they listened”; Notes: Denotes hearing with the intent to obey—here denied.
- וְלֹ֥א (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Continues the list of rejected responses.
- הִטּ֖וּ (hittu) – Root: נטה; Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they inclined”; Notes: Typically refers to attentiveness—here rejected.
- אֶת־אָזְנָ֑ם (et-oznam) – Root: אזן; Form: Accusative marker + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their ear”; Notes: Refers to the organ of hearing as a metaphor for receptiveness.
- וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ (vayyaqshu) – Root: קשה; Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they stiffened”; Notes: Often describes rebellion or obstinacy.
- אֶת־עָרְפָּ֔ם (et-ʿorpam) – Root: ערף; Form: Accusative marker + noun masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their neck”; Notes: Idiom for stubbornness or refusal to yield.
- לְבִלְתִּ֣י (levilti) – Root: בלתי; Form: Preposition of negation + infinitive; Translation: “in order not to”; Notes: Introduces purpose/result clause with negation.
- שֶׂומע (shomeaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “hear”; Notes: Hearing in the sense of obeying or responding to YHWH’s word.
- וּלְבִלְתִּ֖י (u-levilti) – Root: בלתי; Form: Conjunction + preposition of negation; Translation: “and not to”; Notes: Parallel structure to the previous infinitive.
- קַ֥חַת (qakhat) – Root: לקח; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “receive” or “take”; Notes: Describes refusal to accept instruction or correction.
- מוּסָֽר (musar) – Root: יסר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “discipline” or “instruction”; Notes: Key term for moral guidance or correction from YHWH.