וְאָ֣מְר֔וּ עַ֚ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽזְב֔וּ אֶת־בְּרִ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֛וּ לֵאלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים וַיַּעַבְדֽוּם׃ ס
And they shall say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of YHWH their God, and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”
Morphology
- וְאָ֣מְר֔וּ (ve-ʾamru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they shall say”; Notes: Continues narrative future sequence in prophetic speech.
- עַ֚ל (ʿal) – Root: על; Form: Preposition; Translation: “Because of” / “concerning”; Notes: Introduces the reason or cause for judgment.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “that” / “because”; Notes: Connects the preceding cause with the action described.
- עָֽזְב֔וּ (ʿazvu) – Root: עזב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they forsook”; Notes: Describes the abandoning of covenantal relationship.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [not translated]; Notes: Marks “covenant” as the direct object.
- בְּרִ֥ית (berit) – Root: ברת; Form: Noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “covenant of”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s binding agreement with Yisraʾel.
- יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine covenant partner and God of Yisraʾel.
- אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם (ʾelohehem) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their God”; Notes: Possessive relationship to the people being judged.
- וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֛וּ (va-yishtakhuvu) – Root: שׁחה; Form: Hishtaphel (Hishtafel) wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they bowed down”; Notes: Denotes prostration or worship before deities.
- לֵאלֹהִ֥ים (le-ʾelohim) – Root: אלה; Form: Preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “to gods”; Notes: Object of worship and apostasy.
- אֲחֵרִ֖ים (ʾaḥerim) – Root: אחר; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “other”; Notes: Used to distinguish from YHWH, often implying false gods.
- וַיַּעַבְדֽוּם (va-yaʿavdum) – Root: עבד; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and they served them”; Notes: Culminates the charge of idolatry, indicating full devotion to false gods.