לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עַֽל־הָרֹעִים֮ הָרֹעִ֣ים אֶת־עַמִּי֒ אַתֶּ֞ם הֲפִצֹתֶ֤ם אֶת־צֹאנִי֙ וַתַּדִּח֔וּם וְלֹ֥א פְקַדְתֶּ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם הִנְנִ֨י פֹקֵ֧ד עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם אֶת־רֹ֥עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
Therefore thus said YHWH, the God of Yisraʾel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and you did not attend to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares YHWH.
Morphology
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces a consequence or divine response.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing a divine speech.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Simple past introducing the speech of YHWH.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Tetragrammaton; the covenant name of God.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾElohei) – Root: אלוה; Form: Construct plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct state introducing possessive relation.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the nation or people of God.
- עַל־הָרֹעִים (ʿal-ha-roʿim) – Root: רעה; Form: Preposition + definite plural participle; Translation: “concerning the shepherds”; Notes: Object of God’s pronouncement.
- הָרֹעִים (ha-roʿim) – Root: רעה; Form: Definite plural participle; Translation: “who shepherd”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis; participle as relative clause.
- אֶת־עַמִּי (et-ʿammi) – Root: עם; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: YHWH claims ownership over the people.
- אַתֶּם (ʾattem) – Root: אתם; Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “You”; Notes: Subject of the following verbs, emphatic.
- הֲפִצֹתֶם (hafitsotem) – Root: פוץ; Form: Hiphil perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have scattered”; Notes: Causative action with perfect aspect.
- אֶת־צֹאנִי (et-tsoʾni) – Root: צאן; Form: Definite direct object marker + noun feminine singular (collective) with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My flock”; Notes: Continuation of the metaphor of YHWH’s people as sheep.
- וַתַּדִּחוּם (va-taddichum) – Root: דחה; Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 2nd person masculine plural + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and you drove them away”; Notes: Sequential action; causative pushing away.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction + negation; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- פְקַדְתֶּם (feqadtem) – Root: פקד; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you attended”; Notes: Denotes responsibility or oversight, here in the sense of failure.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Root: את; Form: Accusative pronoun 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to “My flock.”
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Signals imminent divine action.
- פֹקֵד (poqed) – Root: פקד; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “attending”; Notes: Repetition of פקד with ironic reversal: now YHWH will attend to them.
- עֲלֵיכֶם (ʿalekhem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “upon you”; Notes: Direct object of YHWH’s judgment.
- אֶת־רֹעַ (et-roʿaʿ) – Root: רעע; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Abstract noun referring to moral corruption.
- מַעַלְלֵיכֶם (maʿallekhem) – Root: עלל; Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “of your deeds”; Notes: Plural form emphasizes ongoing actions.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun construct + proper name; Translation: “declaration of YHWH”; Notes: Standard prophetic closing formula.