לֵאמֹ֡ר הֵ֣ן יְשַׁלַּ֣ח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו֩ וְהָלְכָ֨ה מֵאִתֹּ֜ו וְהָיְתָ֣ה לְאִישׁ־אַחֵ֗ר הֲיָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ עֹ֔וד הֲלֹ֛וא חָנֹ֥וף תֶּחֱנַ֖ף הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֑יא וְאַ֗תְּ זָנִית֙ רֵעִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים וְשֹׁ֥וב אֵלַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃
Saying, “Behold, if a man sends away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, will he return to her again? Would not that land be greatly defiled? But you have played the whore with many lovers; yet return to me,” declares YHWH.
Morphology
- לֵאמֹ֡ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces quoted speech or divine message.
- הֵ֣ן (hen) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Marks a hypothetical or legal case.
- יְשַׁלַּ֣ח (yeshallach) – Root: שלח (shalach); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “sends away”; Notes: Intensified form implying formal divorce or dismissal.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: The subject of the legal case.
- אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו (et-ishto) – Root: אשׁה (ʾishah); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his wife”; Notes: The woman being dismissed.
- וְהָלְכָה (ve-halkhah) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with ו; Translation: “and she goes”; Notes: Action following the divorce.
- מֵאִתֹּו (meʾitto) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition מִן + noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from him”; Notes: Indicates separation.
- וְהָיְתָה (ve-hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she becomes”; Notes: Refers to remarriage.
- לְאִישׁ־אַחֵר (leʾish-aḥer) – Root: אישׁ / אחר; Form: Preposition לְ + noun construct; Translation: “to another man”; Notes: Describes her second marriage.
- הֲיָשׁוּב (hayashuv) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with interrogative הֲ; Translation: “will he return?”; Notes: Rhetorical question expecting “no.”
- אֵלֶיהָ (eleha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Indicates potential reconciliation.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the unlikelihood of return.
- הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle with negative; Translation: “Would not?”; Notes: Emphatic form expecting a positive answer.
- חָנֹוף (ḥanof) – Root: חנף (ḥanaf); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “greatly defiled”; Notes: Absolute infinitive for intensification.
- תֶּחֱנַף (teḥenaf) – Root: חנף (ḥanaf); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “would it be defiled?”; Notes: Refers to the land as feminine.
- הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא (haʾaretz hahiʾ) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Definite noun feminine singular + demonstrative; Translation: “that land”; Notes: Refers to the moral defilement of the land.
- וְאַתְּ (veʾat) – Root: אתה (ʾat); Form: Independent pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “But you”; Notes: Contrasts with legal illustration.
- זָנִית (zanit) – Root: זנה (zanah); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you have played the whore”; Notes: Refers to unfaithfulness to YHWH.
- רֵעִים רַבִּים (reʿim rabbim) – Root: רע (reʿaʿ) / רבב (rav); Form: Noun masculine plural + adjective masculine plural; Translation: “many lovers”; Notes: Metaphor for multiple false alliances or idols.
- וְשׁוֹב (ve-shov) – Root: שוב (shuv); Form: Conjunction + Qal imperative masculine singular; Translation: “yet return”; Notes: Command of mercy, calling for repentance.
- אֵלַי (elai) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Direct appeal from YHWH.
- נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Construct noun + proper name; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic signature affirming divine authority of the statement.