כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֧ה צְבָאֹ֛ות אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר יַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּה֩ שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ בְשִׁמְכָ֜ה סְפָרִ֗ים אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָ֤ה בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶ֥ל כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר׃
Thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Yisraʾel, saying: “Because you have sent in your name letters to all the people who are in Yerushalayim, and to Tsefanya son of Maʿaseya the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Morphology
- כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר (koh-amar) – Root: אמר; Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “thus said”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula introducing a divine declaration.
- יְהוָ֧ה (YHWH) – Root: Divine name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God in the Hebrew Bible.
- צְבָאֹ֛ות (tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Plural noun construct; Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Military imagery, referring to heavenly or earthly armies under YHWH’s command.
- אֱלֹהֵ֥י (ʾelohei) – Root: אלוה; Form: Noun masculine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “God of”; Notes: In construct with “Yisraʾel.”
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרי or שׂרה; Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Covenant nation of God.
- לֵאמֹ֑ר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- יַ֡עַן (yaʿan) – Root: ען; Form: Preposition; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces a causal explanation.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: Relative particle; Form: Particle; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Functions to link cause with result.
- אַתָּה֩ (ʾattah) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “you”; Notes: Used for emphasis.
- שָׁלַ֨חְתָּ (shalachta) – Root: שלח; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have sent”; Notes: Refers to a completed action of dispatching.
- בְשִׁמְכָ֜ה (veshimkha) – Root: שם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in your name”; Notes: Indicates personal authority.
- סְפָרִ֗ים (sefarim) – Root: ספר; Form: Masculine plural noun; Translation: “letters”; Notes: Can mean written documents, here specifically correspondence.
- אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם֙ (el-kol-haʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “to all the people”; Notes: Refers to recipients of the letters.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Relative particle; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a descriptive clause.
- בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֔ם (birushalayim) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “in Yerushalayim”; Notes: City of central religious significance.
- וְאֶל־צְפַנְיָ֤ה (veʾel-tsefanyah) – Root: צפן; Form: Conjunction + preposition + proper noun; Translation: “and to Tsefanyah”; Notes: Personal name meaning “YHWH has hidden.”
- בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ (ben-maʿaseyah) – Root: עשה; Form: Noun construct + proper noun; Translation: “son of Maʿaseyah”; Notes: Patronymic reference.
- הַכֹּהֵ֔ן (hakkohen) – Root: כהן; Form: Definite article + masculine singular noun; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: Religious office.
- וְאֶ֥ל (veʾel) – Conjunction + preposition; Translation: “and to”; Notes: Adds another recipient.
- כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים (kol-hakkohanim) – Root: כהן; Form: Noun masculine plural with definite article; Translation: “all the priests”; Notes: Religious leaders collectively.
- לֵאמֹֽר (lemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Marks the introduction of direct speech content.