יַ֣עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָבֻ֗נִי וַֽיְנַכְּר֞וּ אֶת־הַמָּקֹ֤ום הַזֶּה֙ וַיְקַטְּרוּ־בֹו֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יְדָע֛וּם הֵ֥מָּה וַאֲבֹֽותֵיהֶ֖ם וּמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וּמָֽלְא֛וּ אֶת־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה דַּ֥ם נְקִיִּֽם׃
Because they have forsaken Me and have made this place foreign, and have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Yehuda have known, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.
Morphology
- יַ֣עַן (yaʿan) – Root: ען; Form: Preposition; Translation: “Because”; Notes: Introduces a causal clause explaining divine judgment.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” or “because”; Notes: Connects with the previous conjunction to give cause.
- עֲזָבֻ֗נִי (ʿazavuni) – Root: עזב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “they have forsaken Me”; Notes: Refers to Yisraʾel abandoning YHWH.
- וַֽיְנַכְּר֞וּ (va-ye nakk ru) – Root: נכר; Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they have made foreign”; Notes: Suggests defiling or alienating the place from its sanctity.
- אֶת־הַמָּקֹ֤ום (et-ha-maqom) – Root: קום; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “this place”; Notes: The sacred site that has been defiled.
- הַזֶּה֙ (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points back to the specific location addressed.
- וַיְקַטְּרוּ־בֹו֙ (va-yeqat teru-bo) – Root: קטר; Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and they have burned incense in it”; Notes: Refers to idolatrous worship performed at the site.
- לֵאלֹהִ֣ים (le-ʾelohim) – Root: אלה; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “to gods”; Notes: Indicates the recipients of the illicit worship.
- אֲחֵרִ֔ים (ʾaḥerim) – Root: אחר; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “other”; Notes: Specifies the foreign and illegitimate nature of these gods.
- אֲשֶׁ֧ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers back to the “other gods.”
- לֹֽא־יְדָע֛וּם (lo-yedaʿum) – Root: ידע; Form: Negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “they did not know them”; Notes: Indicates unfamiliarity with these gods, implying their illegitimacy.
- הֵ֥מָּה (hemmah) – Root: הם; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject (the people of Yehudah).
- וַאֲבֹֽותֵיהֶ֖ם (va-avoteihem) – Root: אב; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their fathers”; Notes: Ancestral generations also excluded from knowledge of these gods.
- וּמַלְכֵ֣י (u-malkei) – Root: מלך; Form: Conjunction + construct plural masculine noun; Translation: “and the kings of”; Notes: Royal leaders of Yehudah are included in the condemnation.
- יְהוּדָ֑ה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom.
- וּמָֽלְא֛וּ (u-malʾu) – Root: מלא; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they have filled”; Notes: Continues the list of offenses committed at the site.
- אֶת־הַמָּקֹ֥ום (et-ha-maqom) – Root: קום; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “this place”; Notes: The location again emphasized as defiled.
- הַזֶּ֖ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “place.”
- דַּ֥ם (dam) – Root: דם; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “blood”; Notes: The blood signifies unjust violence or murder.
- נְקִיִּֽים (neqiyyim) – Root: נקה; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “innocent”; Notes: Indicates the victims were guiltless, intensifying the gravity of the sin.