אַל־תִּשְׁמְע֣וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם עִבְד֥וּ אֶת־מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וִֽחְי֑וּ לָ֧מָּה תִֽהְיֶ֛ה הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את חָרְבָּֽה׃
Do not listen to them; serve the king of Bavel and live. Why should this city become a ruin?
Morphology
- אַל־תִּשְׁמְע֣וּ (ʾal-tishmeʿu) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural with negative particle; Translation: “do not listen”; Notes: The particle אַל with imperfect indicates a negative command or prohibition.
- אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (ʾăleihem) – Root: אֵל; Form: preposition with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers back to the false prophets mentioned earlier in the context.
- עִבְד֥וּ (ʿivdu) – Root: עבד; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “serve”; Notes: Command directed to the people to submit to the king of Bavel.
- אֶת־מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל (ʾet-melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך / בבל; Form: definite direct object marker + noun in construct with proper name; Translation: “the king of Bavel”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonian ruler, historically Nebuchadnezzar.
- וִֽחְי֑וּ (viḥyu) – Root: חיה; Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural with vav conjunction; Translation: “and live”; Notes: Expresses the positive outcome of obedience.
- לָ֧מָּה (lammah) – Root: מה; Form: interrogative particle with prefixed preposition; Translation: “why”; Notes: Introduces the rhetorical question.
- תִֽהְיֶ֛ה (tihyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “should become”; Notes: Refers to the city in the following phrase.
- הָעִ֥יר (hāʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: noun feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the city”; Notes: Refers to Yerushalayim.
- הַזֹּ֖את (hazzōt) – Root: זה; Form: demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “city.”
- חָרְבָּֽה (ḥorbāh) – Root: חרב; Form: noun feminine singular; Translation: “a ruin”; Notes: Indicates desolation or destruction, often used for cities destroyed in war.