וְכִי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֩ הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה אֹֽו־הַנָּבִ֤יא אֹֽו־כֹהֵן֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַה־מַשָּׂ֖א יְהוָ֑ה וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־מַה־מַשָּׂ֔א וְנָטַשְׁתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
“And when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you, saying, ‘What is the burden of YHWH?’ then you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will forsake you, declares YHWH.’
Morphology
- וְכִי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֩ (ve-ki yishʾalʾekha) – Root: שׁאל; Form: Conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “And when he asks you”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause involving inquiry.
- הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה (ha-ʿam ha-zeh) – Root: עם + זה; Form: Definite article + noun masculine singular + demonstrative; Translation: “this people”; Notes: The subject initiating the question.
- אֹו־הַנָּבִיא (ʾo ha-naviʾ) – Root: או + נבא; Form: Disjunctive particle + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “or the prophet”; Notes: Additional possible subject asking the question.
- אֹו־כֹהֵן (ʾo koḥen) – Root: כהן; Form: Disjunctive particle + noun masculine singular; Translation: “or a priest”; Notes: Final option in the series of possible questioners.
- לֵאמֹר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the quoted question.
- מַה־מַשָּׂא יְהוָה (mah-massa YHWH) – Root: נשא; Form: Interrogative + noun masculine singular + divine name; Translation: “What is the burden of YHWH?”; Notes: “Burden” can imply an oracle or a message of judgment.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “then you shall say”; Notes: Directive response from YHWH to the prophet.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Specifies the audience of the reply.
- אֶת־מַה־מַשָּׂא (et-mah-massa) – Root: נשא; Form: Direct object marker + interrogative + noun masculine singular; Translation: “You are the burden”; Notes: Wordplay—YHWH redirects the term toward the people themselves.
- וְנָטַשְׁתִּי (ve-natashti) – Root: נטש; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I will forsake”; Notes: Expresses divine rejection or abandonment.
- אֶתְכֶם (etkhem) – Root: את; Form: Definite direct object marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Object of the verb “forsake.”
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Construct noun + divine name; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic signature confirming divine origin of the statement.