וָאֵ֗רֶא כִּ֤י עַל־כָּל־אֹדֹות֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִֽאֲפָה֙ מְשֻׁבָ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שִׁלַּחְתִּ֕יהָ וָאֶתֵּ֛ן אֶת־סֵ֥פֶר כְּרִיתֻתֶ֖יהָ אֵלֶ֑יהָ וְלֹ֨א יָֽרְאָ֜ה בֹּֽגֵדָ֤ה יְהוּדָה֙ אֲחֹותָ֔הּ וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ וַתִּ֥זֶן גַּם־הִֽיא׃
And I saw that for all the reasons that backsliding Yisraʾel committed adultery, I sent her away and gave her the scroll of her divorce; yet treacherous Yehuda her sister did not fear, and she also went and prostituted herself.
Morphology
- וָאֵ֗רֶא (va-ʾere) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person common singular; Translation: “And I saw”; Notes: Introduction to YHWH’s observation and response.
- כִּ֤י (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a causal or explanatory clause.
- עַל־כָּל־אֹדֹות֙ (ʿal-kol-ʾodot) – Root: אדה (ʾadah, or from related root meaning “cause” or “grounds”); Form: Preposition + construct phrase; Translation: “for all the reasons”; Notes: Refers to the grounds for YHWH’s judgment.
- אֲשֶׁ֤ר (asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces relative clause explaining the reasons.
- נִֽאֲפָה֙ (niʾafah) – Root: נאף (naʾaf); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she committed adultery”; Notes: Passive or reflexive—used metaphorically of spiritual infidelity.
- מְשֻׁבָ֣ה (meshubah) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “backsliding”; Notes: Refers to the northern kingdom, personified as unfaithful.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: The northern kingdom.
- שִׁלַּחְתִּ֕יהָ (shillaḥtihah) – Root: שלח (shalaḥ); Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “I sent her away”; Notes: Refers to divorce or rejection.
- וָאֶתֵּ֛ן (va-etten) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I gave”; Notes: Sequential narrative verb.
- אֶת־סֵ֥פֶר כְּרִיתֻתֶ֖יהָ (et-sefer kerituteha) – Root: ספר (sefer), כרת (karat); Form: Accusative marker + noun construct + noun feminine singular with suffix; Translation: “the scroll of her divorce”; Notes: Legal image of divorce decree (cf. Deut 24:1).
- אֵלֶ֑יהָ (eleha) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Indicates recipient of the scroll.
- וְלֹ֨א (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “yet not”; Notes: Signals contrast between expectation and reality.
- יָֽרְאָ֜ה (yareʾah) – Root: ירא (yaraʾ); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she feared”; Notes: Refers to Yehudah’s failure to fear or heed the warning.
- בֹּֽגֵדָ֤ה (bogedah) – Root: בגד (bagad); Form: Qal active participle feminine singular; Translation: “treacherous”; Notes: Describes Yehudah’s moral state.
- יְהוּדָה֙ (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: The southern kingdom.
- אֲחֹותָ֔הּ (aḥotah) – Root: אחות (ʾaḥot); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her sister”; Notes: Yehudah as sister of Yisraʾel.
- וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ (va-telekh) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she went”; Notes: Continues narrative of Yehudah following Yisraʾel’s example.
- וַתִּ֥זֶן (va-tizen) – Root: זנה (zanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she prostituted herself”; Notes: Metaphor for idolatry and covenant infidelity.
- גַּם־הִֽיא (gam-hiʾ) – Root: גם (gam), הוא (hiʾ); Form: Particle + pronoun; Translation: “she also”; Notes: Emphasizes Yehudah imitating Yisraʾel’s unfaithfulness.