שׁ֣וּבוּ בָנִ֤ים שֹׁובָבִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י בָּעַ֣לְתִּי בָכֶ֑ם וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֜ם אֶחָ֣ד מֵעִ֗יר וּשְׁנַ֨יִם֙ מִמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם צִיֹּֽון׃
Return, O backsliding children,’ declares YHWH; ‘for I have married you, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a clan, and I will bring you to Tsiyyon.’
Morphology
- שׁ֣וּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Return”; Notes: A direct call to repentance addressed to the people.
- בָנִ֤ים (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “children” / “sons”; Notes: Refers to the people of Yisraʾel in a filial relationship with YHWH.
- שֹׁובָבִים֙ (shovavim) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “backsliding”; Notes: Describes the rebellious behavior of the people.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Construct noun + proper name; Translation: “utterance of YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic formula declaring divine speech.
- כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the call to return.
- אָנֹכִ֖י (anokhi) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic subject of the clause.
- בָּעַ֣לְתִּי (baʿalti) – Root: בעל (baʿal); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have married”; Notes: Covenant language indicating divine ownership or spousal relationship.
- בָכֶ֑ם (bakhem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Direct object of “I have married.”
- וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י (ve-laqaḥti) – Root: לקח (laqakh); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with conjunction; Translation: “and I will take”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s initiative in restoration.
- אֶתְכֶ֜ם (etkhem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Accusative marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Object of the verb “take.”
- אֶחָ֣ד (eḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Numeral masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Emphasizes the small remnant to be redeemed.
- מֵעִ֗יר (me-ʿir) – Root: עיר (ʿir); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from a city”; Notes: Indicates origin of the individual taken.
- וּשְׁנַ֨יִם֙ (u-shenayim) – Root: שׁנים (shenayim); Form: Conjunction + numeral masculine dual; Translation: “and two”; Notes: Pairs with the previous numeral for rhetorical contrast.
- מִמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה (mi-mishpaḥah) – Root: משׁפחה (mishpaḥah); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from a clan”; Notes: Broader social group than city; poetic parallelism.
- וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י (ve-heveʾti) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular with conjunction; Translation: “and I will bring”; Notes: Divine act of restoration and gathering.
- אֶתְכֶ֖ם (etkhem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Accusative marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Object of “bring.”
- צִיֹּֽון (Tsiyon) – Root: ציון (Tsiyon); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Tsiyon”; Notes: Refers to Jerusalem as the spiritual center of return.