לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה שַֽׁאֲלוּ־נָא֙ בַּגֹּויִ֔ם מִ֥י שָׁמַ֖ע כָּאֵ֑לֶּה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ עָשְׂתָ֣ה מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Therefore thus says YHWH: “Ask, please, among the nations, who has heard like these? A horrible thing has the virgin of Yisraʾel done exceedingly.”
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces the consequence or conclusion of prior statements.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Demonstrative adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a divine proclamation formula.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s direct speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- שַׁאֲלוּ־נָא (shaʾalu-na) – Root: שׁאל; Form: Qal imperative masculine plural + particle of entreaty; Translation: “Ask, please”; Notes: Invitation to inquire among other nations, expressing shock or incredulity.
- בַּגֹּויִם (ba-goyim) – Root: גוי; Form: Preposition + definite plural noun masculine; Translation: “among the nations”; Notes: Refers to Gentile peoples, contrasting with Yisraʾel.
- מִי (mi) – Root: Interrogative particle; Form: Pronoun; Translation: “who?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- שָׁמַע (shamaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has heard”; Notes: Past action of perception, expressing disbelief.
- כָּאֵלֶּה (kaʾelleh) – Root: אלה; Form: Preposition כְּ + demonstrative plural masculine; Translation: “like these”; Notes: Refers to the outrageous deeds of Yisraʾel.
- שַׁעֲרֻרִת (shaʿarurit) – Root: שׁער or denominative from שׁערוּר; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “horrible thing” or “abomination”; Notes: Extremely rare word connoting outrage or scandal.
- עָשְׂתָה (ʿas’tah) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she has done”; Notes: Refers to the subject “virgin of Yisraʾel.”
- מְאֹד (meʾod) – Root: מאד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “exceedingly”; Notes: Intensifies the magnitude of the deed.
- בְּתוּלַת (betulat) – Root: בתל; Form: Construct noun feminine singular; Translation: “the virgin of”; Notes: Poetic or covenantal title for Yisraʾel, expressing purity betrayed.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שׂרה + אל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers collectively to the nation, portrayed here with personification.