וְצִוִּיתָ֣ אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כֹּ֥ה תֹֽאמְר֖וּ אֶל־אֲדֹֽנֵיכֶֽם׃
And you shall command them to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Yisraʾel, “Thus you shall say to your masters.
Morphology
- וְצִוִּיתָ (ve-tsivvita) – Root: צוה; Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “and you shall command”; Notes: Piel stem intensifies the verbal action, implying an authoritative directive.
- אֹתָם (otam) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to the messengers or recipients previously mentioned.
- אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם (el-adoneihem) – Root: אדן; Form: Preposition אֶל + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to their masters”; Notes: Indicates the human rulers whom the messengers serve.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal infinitive construct with prefixed לְ; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Formula introducing reported speech.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Standard prophetic speech introducer.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Perfect tense here functions as a performative in prophetic speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: —; Form: Divine name (Tetragrammaton); Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Rendered as “YHWH” in scholarly transliteration.
- צְבָאֹות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Noun masculine plural (construct); Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Refers to heavenly armies or divine forces under YHWH’s command.
- אֱלֹהֵי (Elohei) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun masculine plural (construct); Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct linking to Yisraʾel as the object of divine relationship.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: —; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Scholarly transliteration retained.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Repeats for emphasis before a second directive.
- תֹאמְרוּ (toʾmeru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you shall say”; Notes: Instruction to the messengers regarding their speech to the rulers.
- אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם (el-adoneikhem) – Root: אדן; Form: Preposition אֶל + noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to your masters”; Notes: The audience of the commanded message.