וַתָּשֻׁ֨בוּ֙ וַתְּחַלְּל֣וּ אֶת־שְׁמִ֔י וַתָּשִׁ֗בוּ אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּו֙ וְאִ֣ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם חָפְשִׁ֖ים לְנַפְשָׁ֑ם וַתִּכְבְּשׁ֣וּ אֹתָ֔ם לִֽהְיֹ֣ות לָכֶ֔ם לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְלִשְׁפָחֹֽות׃ ס
But you turned back and profaned My Name, and you brought back each man his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had let go free for themselves, and you subdued them to be for you as male servants and as female servants.’
Morphology
- וַתָּשֻׁ֨בוּ (va-tāshuvū) – Root: שוב; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2mp; Translation: “but you turned back”; Notes: Indicates reversal of a prior righteous action.
- וַתְּחַלְּל֣וּ (va-teḥallelū) – Root: חלל; Form: Piel wayyiqtol 2mp; Translation: “and you profaned”; Notes: Strong term of desecration, especially of YHWH’s Name.
- אֶת־שְׁמִ֔י (et-shemī) – Root: שם; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular with 1cs suffix; Translation: “My Name”; Notes: Indicates violation of covenantal identity and honor.
- וַתָּשִׁ֗בוּ (va-tāshīvū) – Root: שוב; Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol 2mp; Translation: “and you brought back”; Notes: Causative; they forcibly reversed the release.
- אִ֤ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּו֙ (ʾīsh et-ʿavdō) – Root: אישׁ / עבד; Form: Noun masculine singular + direct object + noun masculine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “each man his male servant”; Notes: Personal ownership stressed.
- וְאִ֣ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹ֔ו (veʾīsh et-shifḥātō) – Root: שׁפחה; Form: Conjunctive noun + direct object + noun feminine singular with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and each man his female servant”; Notes: Parallels prior phrase, emphasizing completeness of reversal.
- אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתֶּ֥ם (ʾasher-shillaḥtem) – Root: שלח; Form: Relative pronoun + Piel perfect 2mp; Translation: “whom you had let go”; Notes: Strong causative of sending away.
- חָפְשִׁ֖ים (ḥofshīm) – Root: חפשׁ; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “free”; Notes: Emphasizes full emancipation.
- לְנַפְשָׁ֑ם (le-nafshām) – Root: נפשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with 3mp suffix; Translation: “for themselves”; Notes: Indicates independent personal agency.
- וַתִּכְבְּשׁ֣וּ (va-tikhbəshū) – Root: כבשׁ; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 2mp; Translation: “and you subdued”; Notes: Violent or forceful re-enslavement implied.
- אֹתָ֔ם (ʾotām) – Root: – ; Form: Direct object pronoun 3mp; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the emancipated servants.
- לִֽהְיֹ֣ות (lih-yōt) – Root: היה; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Indicates result or purpose of subjugation.
- לָכֶ֔ם (lākhem) – Root: – ; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Reassertion of possessive control.
- לַעֲבָדִ֖ים (la-ʿavādīm) – Root: עבד; Form: Preposition + plural noun masculine; Translation: “as male servants”; Notes: Role imposed upon the freed men.
- וְלִשְׁפָחֹֽות (ve-li-shfāḥōt) – Root: שׁפחה; Form: Conjunction + preposition + plural noun feminine; Translation: “and as female servants”; Notes: Completes the parallelism of gender and class re-enslavement.