הֲלֹ֣וא רָאִ֗יתָ מָֽה־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ דִּבְּר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמִּשְׁפָּחֹ֗ות אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּחַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה בָּהֶ֖ם וַיִּמְאָסֵ֑ם וְאֶת־עַמִּי֙ יִנְאָצ֔וּן מִֽהְיֹ֥ות עֹ֖וד גֹּ֥וי לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ ס
“Have you not seen what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families that YHWH chose, He has rejected them’? Thus they despise My people, no longer regarding them as a nation before them.
Morphology
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Root: לא; Form: Interrogative particle + negation; Translation: “Have not…?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
- רָאִ֗יתָ (raʾita) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have seen”; Notes: Directed to the prophet as witness to the people’s speech.
- מָֽה־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ דִּבְּר֣וּ (mah-haʿam hazzeh dibberu) – Roots: מה “what”, דבר “speak”; Form: Interrogative + definite noun + verb Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “what this people have spoken”; Notes: Reflects disapproval of the people’s claim.
- לֵאמֹ֔ר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with לְ; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Standard marker for reported speech.
- שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמִּשְׁפָּחֹ֗ות (shtei ha-mishpaḥot) – Root: שׁת (dual) + משפחה; Form: Dual feminine noun with definite article; Translation: “the two families”; Notes: Likely refers to Yisraʾel and Yehudah.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּחַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה בָּהֶ֖ם (asher bakhar YHWH bahem) – Roots: בחר; Form: Relative clause with Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular + prepositional suffix; Translation: “whom YHWH chose”; Notes: Emphasizes divine selection.
- וַיִּמְאָסֵ֑ם (vayyimaʾsem) – Root: מאס; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine singular + 3mp suffix; Translation: “and He rejected them”; Notes: Reporting the people’s accusation against YHWH.
- וְאֶת־עַמִּי֙ (veʾet-ʿammi) – Root: עם; Form: Definite noun with 1cs suffix; Translation: “and My people”; Notes: YHWH refers to Yisraʾel as still His possession.
- יִנְאָצ֔וּן (yinʾaʾtsun) – Root: נָאַץ; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they are despised”; Notes: Passive/reciprocal action—shows how others regard His people.
- מִֽהְיֹ֥ות (mihyot) – Root: היה; Form: Preposition מִן + infinitive construct; Translation: “from being”; Notes: Introduces purpose or result clause.
- עֹ֖וד גֹּ֥וי לִפְנֵיהֶֽם (ʿod goy lifneihem) – Root: גוי; Form: Adverb + noun + prepositional phrase; Translation: “still a nation before them”; Notes: The people claim that Yisraʾel has ceased to be a legitimate nation in YHWH’s presence.