וְאִם־מַשָּׂ֣א יְהוָה֮ תֹּאמֵרוּ֒ לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה יַ֧עַן אֲמָרְכֶ֛ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה מַשָּׂ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וָאֶשְׁלַ֤ח אֲלֵיכֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תֹאמְר֖וּ מַשָּׂ֥א יְהוָֽה׃
But if you say, ‘Burden of YHWH,’ therefore thus said YHWH: ‘Because you say this word, “Burden of YHWH,” though I sent to you saying, “You shall not say, ‘Burden of YHWH.’”
Morphology
- וְאִם־ (ve-im) – Root: אם; Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “But if”; Notes: Introduces a conditional clause.
- מַשָּׂ֣א יְהוָה (massa YHWH) – Root: נשא; Form: Noun masculine singular + divine name; Translation: “Burden of YHWH”; Notes: Phrase being condemned due to its misuse as a false prophetic formula.
- תֹּאמֵרוּ (toʾmeru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you say”; Notes: Main verb of the conditional clause.
- לָכֵן (lakhen) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Introduces the divine response to the condition.
- כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה (koh amar YHWH) – Root: אמר; Form: Demonstrative adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + divine name; Translation: “Thus said YHWH”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula.
- יַעַן (yaʿan) – Root: ען; Form: Causal particle; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the coming judgment.
- אֲמָרְכֶם (ʾamarkhem) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural with suffix; Translation: “you say”; Notes: Repeats the offense in focus.
- אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה (et-ha-davar ha-zeh) – Root: דבר; Form: Direct object marker + definite noun + demonstrative adjective; Translation: “this word”; Notes: Refers to the offending phrase “Burden of YHWH.”
- מַשָּׂא יְהוָה (massa YHWH) – Repeated; Translation: “Burden of YHWH”; Notes: Redundant repetition for emphasis and condemnation.
- וָאֶשְׁלַ֤ח (va-eshlaḥ) – Root: שלח; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I sent”; Notes: Refers to previous prophetic instructions.
- אֲלֵיכֶם (aleikhem) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks the recipients of the command.
- לֵאמֹר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- לֹא תֹאמְרוּ (lo toʾmeru) – Root: אמר; Form: Negative particle + Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall not say”; Notes: Divine prohibition explicitly issued.
- מַשָּׂא יְהוָה (massa YHWH) – Repeated phrase; Translation: “Burden of YHWH”; Notes: Culminating in the core command—stop using this phrase.