וּבִנְבִאֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם רָאִ֣יתִי שַׁעֲרוּרָ֗ה נָאֹ֞וף וְהָלֹ֤ךְ בַּשֶּׁ֨קֶר֙ וְחִזְּקוּ֙ יְדֵ֣י מְרֵעִ֔ים לְבִ֨לְתִּי־שָׁ֔בוּ אִ֖ישׁ מֵרָֽעָתֹ֑ו הָֽיוּ־לִ֤י כֻלָּם֙ כִּסְדֹ֔ם וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ כַּעֲמֹרָֽה׃ ס
And among the prophets of Yerushalayim I have seen a horrible thing: adultery and walking in falsehood. And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his evil. They have all become to Me like Sedom, and her inhabitants like ʿAmora.
Morphology
- וּבִנְבִאֵי (u-vivniveʾei) – Root: נבא; Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct plural masculine noun; Translation: “And among the prophets of”; Notes: Marks the group under prophetic judgment.
- יְרוּשָׁלִַם (Yerushalayim) – Root: שלם; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: Capital city of Yisraʾel, spiritual center.
- רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have seen”; Notes: Direct divine observation of wickedness.
- שַׁעֲרוּרָה (shaʿarurah) – Root: שער; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a horrible thing”; Notes: Implies scandal, outrage, abomination.
- נָאֹף (naʾof) – Root: נאף; Form: Infinitive absolute; Translation: “adultery”; Notes: Highlights a specific sin seen among the prophets.
- וְהָלֹךְ (ve-halokh) – Root: הלך; Form: Infinitive construct with conjunction; Translation: “and walking”; Notes: Continuous action; habitual behavior.
- בַּשֶּׁקֶר (ba-sheqer) – Root: שׁקר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in falsehood”; Notes: Associated with deception and lying.
- וְחִזְּקוּ (ve-ḥizzeku) – Root: חזק; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and they strengthened”; Notes: Piel form gives intensive force — active support.
- יְדֵי (yedei) – Root: יד; Form: Construct dual noun; Translation: “the hands of”; Notes: Symbol of agency or power.
- מְרֵעִים (mereʿim) – Root: רעע; Form: Hiphil participle masculine plural; Translation: “evildoers”; Notes: Those actively doing harm.
- לְבִלְתִּי־שָׁבוּ (levilti-shavu) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Negative infinitive construction + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “so that they do not turn back”; Notes: Blocking repentance is the result of prophetic failure.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man” or “anyone”; Notes: Represents individuals in general.
- מֵרָעָתוֹ (me-raʿato) – Root: רעע; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his evil”; Notes: Indicates personal sin not repented of.
- הָיוּ (hayu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they were” or “they became”; Notes: Marks the transformation into objects of judgment.
- לִי (li) – Root: אני; Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: YHWH speaking; personal offense.
- כֻלָּם (kullam) – Root: כל; Form: Noun masculine plural with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “all of them”; Notes: Total condemnation of the group.
- כִּסְדֹם (ki-Sedom) – Root: סדם; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “like Sedom”; Notes: Sedom as a symbol of total wickedness and judgment.
- וְיֹשְׁבֶיהָ (ve-yoshveha) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal participle masculine plural with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and her inhabitants”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yerushalayim.
- כַעֲמֹרָה (ka-ʿAmorah) – Root: עמר; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “like ʿAmorah”; Notes: Parallel to Sedom, symbolizing extreme wickedness and divine wrath.
- ס (samekh) – Form: Masoretic section marker; Translation: [section break]; Notes: Indicates textual division in prophetic discourse.