וּבָנ֞וּ אֶת־בָּמֹ֣ות הַבַּ֗עַל לִשְׂרֹ֧ף אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם בָּאֵ֖שׁ עֹלֹ֣ות לַבָּ֑עַל אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־צִוִּ֨יתִי֙ וְלֹ֣א דִבַּ֔רְתִּי וְלֹ֥א עָלְתָ֖ה עַל־לִבִּֽי׃ פ
And they built the high places of the Baʿal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to the Baʿal, which I did not command, nor did I speak, nor did it come up upon My heart.
Morphology
- וּבָנ֞וּ (u-vanu) – Root: בנה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction; Translation: “And they built”; Notes: Refers to constructing illicit worship sites.
- אֶת־בָּמֹ֣ות (et-bamot) – Root: במה; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun feminine plural; Translation: “the high places”; Notes: Elevated sites used for idolatrous sacrifices.
- הַבַּ֗עַל (ha-Baʿal) – Root: בעל; Form: Proper noun with definite article; Translation: “the Baʿal”; Notes: Refers to the Canaanite storm and fertility deity.
- לִשְׂרֹ֧ף (lisrof) – Root: שׂרף; Form: Preposition + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to burn”; Notes: Introduces purpose of the action at the high places.
- אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֛ם (et-beneihem) – Root: בן; Form: Definite direct object marker + masculine plural construct noun + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their sons”; Notes: Refers to child sacrifice, a grave sin condemned by YHWH.
- בָּאֵ֖שׁ (ba-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the fire”; Notes: Specifies the manner of sacrifice.
- עֹלֹ֣ות (ʿolot) – Root: עלה; Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “burnt offerings”; Notes: Whole burnt sacrifices; here perverted in idolatry.
- לַבָּ֑עַל (la-Baʿal) – Root: בעל; Form: Preposition + proper noun with definite article; Translation: “to the Baʿal”; Notes: Object of the idolatrous worship.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a clause of divine denial.
- לֹֽא־צִוִּ֨יתִי֙ (lo-tsivviti) – Root: צוה; Form: Negative particle + Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I did not command”; Notes: Emphatic rejection of divine sanction.
- וְלֹ֣א דִבַּ֔רְתִּי (ve-lo dibbarti) – Root: דבר; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “nor did I speak”; Notes: Further emphasizes divine disapproval and silence on the matter.
- וְלֹ֥א עָלְתָ֖ה (ve-lo ʿaltah) – Root: עלה; Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “nor did it come up”; Notes: Refers to a thought or plan never conceived.
- עַל־לִבִּֽי (ʿal-libbi) – Root: לבב; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “upon My heart”; Notes: Hebrew idiom for will, intention, or thought.