כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה מַה־מָּצְא֨וּ אֲבֹותֵיכֶ֥ם בִּי֙ עָ֔וֶל כִּ֥י רָחֲק֖וּ מֵעָלָ֑י וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ אַחֲרֵ֥י הַהֶ֖בֶל וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃
Thus said YHWH: “What injustice did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and walked after worthlessness and became worthless?
Morphology
- כֹּ֣ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Demonstrative adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Common prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Refers to past divine speech.
- יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Tetragrammaton, proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “What?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question.
- מָּצְא֨וּ (matsʾu) – Root: מצא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “did they find”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors’ perception or claim.
- אֲבֹותֵיכֶ֥ם (avotekhem) – Root: אב; Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your fathers”; Notes: Refers to the ancestors of the nation.
- בִּי֙ (bi) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “in Me”; Notes: Indicates the object of their accusation or investigation.
- עָ֔וֶל (ʿawel) – Root: עול; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “injustice”; Notes: Refers to moral wrong or corruption.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a causal or explanatory clause.
- רָחֲק֖וּ (raḥaqu) – Root: רחק; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they went far”; Notes: Suggests spiritual or relational distance.
- מֵעָלָ֑י (me-ʿalay) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from upon Me”; Notes: Expresses separation from YHWH.
- וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ (vayyelᵊkhu) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they went”; Notes: Indicates continued past action.
- אַחֲרֵ֥י (aḥarei) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Often used with following idols or falsehood.
- הַהֶ֖בֶל (ha-hevel) – Root: הבל; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the worthlessness”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to idols or vanity.
- וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ (vayyehbalu) – Root: הבל; Form: Niphal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they became worthless”; Notes: Suggests they became like what they pursued; a theological irony.