לֵאמֹ֗ר שֽׁוּבוּ־נָ֞א אִ֣ישׁ מִדַּרְכֹּ֤ו הָֽרָעָה֙ וּמֵרֹ֣עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֔ם וּשְׁבוּ֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן יְהוָ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם וְלַאֲבֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם לְמִן־עֹולָ֖ם וְעַד־עֹולָֽם׃
saying, ‘Please return, each man from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land that YHWH gave to you and to your fathers from eternity and unto eternity.
Morphology
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech following a verb of speaking.
- שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “return”; Notes: Call for repentance addressed to the people.
- נָא (na) – Root: Particle; Form: Enclitic particle of entreaty; Translation: “please”; Notes: Adds urgency and politeness to the command.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “each man”; Notes: Individualizes the appeal to repentance.
- מִדַּרְכֹּו (mi-darko) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his way”; Notes: “Way” represents conduct or lifestyle.
- הָרָעָה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Definite adjective feminine singular; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Qualifies the “way” as morally corrupt.
- וּמֵרֹעַ (u-mei-roʿaʿ) – Root: רעע; Form: Conjunction + preposition מן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and from the evil”; Notes: Parallel to the previous clause; stresses moral reform.
- מַעַלְלֵיכֶם (maʿalleikhem) – Root: עלל; Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your deeds”; Notes: Refers to deliberate actions or behaviors.
- וּשְׁבוּ (u-shevu) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “and dwell”; Notes: Positive command in contrast to the call for turning away.
- עַל־הָאֲדָמָה (ʿal-ha-ʾadamah) – Root: אדם; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “on the land”; Notes: Refers to the Promised Land.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause explaining the land.
- נָתַן (natan) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “gave”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s covenant gift of land.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The one who gave the land; covenant context.
- לָכֶם (lakhem) – Root: ל + אתם; Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: The current generation addressed.
- וְלַאֲבֹותֵיכֶם (ve-laʾavotekhem) – Root: אב; Form: Conjunction + preposition + plural noun with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and to your fathers”; Notes: Refers to the patriarchs and their descendants.
- לְמִן־עֹולָם (le-min-ʿolam) – Root: עלם; Form: Preposition + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from eternity”; Notes: Idiom for everlasting time, past context.
- וְעַד־עֹולָם (ve-ʿad-ʿolam) – Root: עלם; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and unto eternity”; Notes: Indicates perpetual covenantal promise.