כִּֽי־שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי עַמִּ֖י לַשָּׁ֣וְא יְקַטֵּ֑רוּ וַיַּכְשִׁל֤וּם בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם֙ שְׁבִילֵ֣י עֹולָ֔ם לָלֶ֣כֶת נְתִיבֹ֔ות דֶּ֖רֶךְ לֹ֥א סְלוּלָֽה׃
For My people have forgotten Me; to falsehood they burn incense, and they have made them stumble in their ways, ancient paths, to walk in by-paths, a way not cast up.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the cause or reason for what precedes.
- שְׁכֵחֻנִי (shekheḥuni) – Root: שׁכח; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “they have forgotten Me”; Notes: Expresses the people’s abandonment of YHWH.
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם; Form: Noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Indicates YHWH’s covenantal relationship with Yisraʾel.
- לַשָּׁוְא (la-shav) – Root: שׁוא; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to falsehood”; Notes: Refers to idols or vanity—things of no substance.
- יְקַטֵּרוּ (yeqatteru) – Root: קטר; Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they burn incense”; Notes: Piel indicates ritual act of idolatrous worship.
- וַיַּכְשִׁלוּם (va-yakhsilum) – Root: כשׁל; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and they caused them to stumble”; Notes: Refers to how idolatry misleads the people from true paths.
- בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם (be-darkeikhem) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “in their ways”; Notes: Refers to patterns of behavior or life conduct.
- שְׁבִילֵי (shevilai) – Root: שׁביל; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “paths of”; Notes: Refers to well-trodden roads, often used figuratively for tradition or righteousness.
- עוֹלָם (ʿolam) – Root: עלם; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “eternity” or “ancient”; Notes: Indicates time-tested, longstanding paths.
- לָלֶכֶת (la-lekhet) – Root: הלך; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to walk”; Notes: Denotes the purpose of the stumbling—to divert from the right path.
- נְתִיבוֹת (netivot) – Root: נתב; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “by-paths” or “side tracks”; Notes: Suggests deviation from the main, righteous road.
- דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “a way of”; Notes: Here connects with the next adjective for description.
- לֹא סְלוּלָה (lo selulah) – Root: סלל; Form: Negative particle + passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “not paved”; Notes: Unprepared or illegitimate path—symbol of confusion and danger.