כֹּֽה־אָמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לָקֹ֣וחַ אֶת־הַסְּפָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֡לֶּה אֵ֣ת סֵפֶר֩ הַמִּקְנָ֨ה הַזֶּ֜ה וְאֵ֣ת הֶחָת֗וּם וְאֵ֨ת סֵ֤פֶר הַגָּלוּי֙ הַזֶּ֔ה וּנְתַתָּ֖ם בִּכְלִי־חָ֑רֶשׂ לְמַ֥עַן יַעַמְד֖וּ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃ ס
‘Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Yisraʾel: “Take these scrolls, this deed of purchase, both the sealed one and this open scroll, and put them in an earthen vessel so that they may stand for many days.”
Morphology
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: כה (koh); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a formal prophetic declaration.
- אָמַר (amar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Standard prophetic formula indicating divine speech.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The personal covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- צְבָאֹות (tzevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tzevaʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Refers to armies or heavenly forces under God’s command.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלהים (ʾelohim); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Denotes divine relationship with Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people of God.
- לָקֹוחַ (laqoaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal infinitive absolute; Translation: “Take”; Notes: Infinitive absolute here functions as an imperative, conveying urgency.
- אֶת־הַסְּפָרִים (ʾet-ha-sefarim) – Root: ספר (sefer); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the scrolls”; Notes: Refers to the legal documents of the purchase.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: אלה (elleh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the scrolls being referred to.
- אֵת (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: “(marker)”; Notes: Marks the following noun as a definite object.
- סֵפֶר (sefer) – Root: ספר (sefer); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “scroll” or “book”; Notes: Refers to the deed document.
- הַמִּקְנָה (ha-miqqneh) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “of purchase”; Notes: Indicates the scroll is a bill of sale.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the particular scroll.
- וְאֵת (ve-ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker; Translation: “and (marker)”; Notes: Connects another definite object.
- הֶחָתוּם (heḥatum) – Root: חתם (ḥatam); Form: Definite passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “the sealed one”; Notes: Refers to the copy secured with a seal.
- וְאֵת (ve-ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Conjunction + direct object marker; Translation: “and (marker)”; Notes: Marks another direct object.
- סֵפֶר (sefer) – Root: ספר (sefer); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “scroll”; Notes: Here referring to the unsealed copy.
- הַגָּלוּי (ha-galuy) – Root: גלה (galah); Form: Definite passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “the open one”; Notes: Describes the document accessible for public reading.
- הַזֶּה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points to the specific open scroll.
- וּנְתַתָּם (u-netattam) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and put them”; Notes: Command to place the documents in safekeeping.
- בִּכְלִי־חָרֶשׂ (bi-kheli-ḥares) – Root: כלי (kheli) / חרשׂ (ḥares); Form: Preposition + construct noun masculine singular + absolute noun masculine singular; Translation: “in an earthen vessel”; Notes: Pottery jar used for long-term preservation.
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Indicates purpose of the command.
- יַעַמְדוּ (yaʿamdu) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they may stand”; Notes: Figuratively means “to last” or “remain.”
- יָמִים (yamim) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “days”; Notes: Refers to an extended period of time.
- רַבִּים (rabbim) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “many”; Notes: Emphasizes the long duration.
- ס (samekh) – Root: None; Form: Masoretic section marker; Translation: “Samekh (closed section)”; Notes: Marks the end of a textual unit in the Masoretic tradition.