וַיִּבְנוּ֩ אֶת־בָּמֹ֨ות הַבַּ֜עַל אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֗ם לְ֠הַעֲבִיר אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֵיהֶם֮ לַמֹּלֶךְ֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־צִוִּיתִ֗ים וְלֹ֤א עָֽלְתָה֙ עַל־לִבִּ֔י לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות הַתֹּועֵבָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את לְמַ֖עַן הַחֲטִ֥יא אֶת־יְהוּדָֽה׃ ס
And they built the high places of the Baʿal which are in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass to the Molekh, which I did not command them, and it did not come upon My heart to do this abomination, so as to cause Yehuda to sin.
Morphology
- וַיִּבְנוּ (va-yivnu) – Root: בנה (banah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they built”; Notes: Describes a completed past action in a narrative sequence.
- אֶת־בָּמֹות (et-bamot) – Root: במה (bamah); Form: Definite noun feminine plural with direct object marker; Translation: “the high places”; Notes: Refers to elevated sites of worship, often idolatrous.
- הַבַּעַל (ha-Baʿal) – Root: בעל (Baʿal); Form: Proper noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the Baʿal”; Notes: Refers to the Canaanite deity Baʿal.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- בְּגֵיא (be-geʾ) – Root: גיא (geʾ); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “in the valley of”; Notes: Indicates location.
- בֶן־הִנֹּם (ven-Hinnom) – Root: בן (ben) + הנם (Hinnom); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + proper noun; Translation: “Ben-Hinnom”; Notes: Name of a valley associated with idolatry and child sacrifice.
- לְהַעֲבִיר (le-haʿavir) – Root: עבר (ʿavar); Form: Hiphil infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “to cause to pass”; Notes: Idiom for child sacrifice by fire.
- אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם (et-benehem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and direct object marker; Translation: “their sons”; Notes: Refers to male children.
- וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֵיהֶם (ve-et-benotehem) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Noun feminine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and direct object marker; Translation: “and their daughters”; Notes: Refers to female children.
- לַמֹּלֶךְ (la-Molekh) – Root: מלך (Molekh); Form: Proper noun masculine singular with preposition לְ + definite article; Translation: “to the Molekh”; Notes: A deity associated with child sacrifice.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces another relative clause.
- לֹא־צִוִּיתִים (lo-tsivvitim) – Root: צוה (tsavah); Form: Piel perfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “I did not command them”; Notes: Emphasizes divine disapproval.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Connects clauses with negation.
- עָֽלְתָה (ʿalta) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “came up”; Notes: Figurative expression for a thought or plan arising.
- עַל־לִבִּי (ʿal-libbi) – Root: לב (lev); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “upon My heart”; Notes: Hebrew idiom for intention or will.
- לַעֲשֹׂות (laʿasot) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal infinitive construct with preposition לְ; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Refers to the forbidden act.
- הַתֹּועֵבָה (ha-toʿevah) – Root: תעב (toʿevah); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the abomination”; Notes: Refers to an act detestable to YHWH, often idolatry.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Modifies “abomination.”
- לְמַעַן (le-maʿan) – Root: מען (maʿan); Form: Preposition; Translation: “so as to”; Notes: Indicates purpose or result.
- הַחֲטִיא (ha-ḥati) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Hiphil infinitive construct with definite article; Translation: “to cause to sin”; Notes: Causative form indicating making someone guilty of sin.
- אֶת־יְהוּדָה (et-Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Proper noun masculine singular with direct object marker; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom of Judah.