לָכֵן֮ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֒ אַתֶּם֙ לֹֽא־שְׁמַעְתֶּ֣ם אֵלַ֔י לִקְרֹ֣א דְרֹ֔ור אִ֥ישׁ לְאָחִ֖יו וְאִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ הִנְנִ֣י קֹרֵא֩ לָכֶ֨ם דְּרֹ֜ור נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־הַחֶ֨רֶב֙ אֶל־הַדֶּ֣בֶר וְאֶל־הָרָעָ֔ב וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ לְזוּעָה לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכֹ֥ות הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Therefore, thus says YHWH: ‘You have not listened to Me to proclaim liberty, each man to his brother and each man to his companion; behold, I proclaim to you liberty,’ declares YHWH, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Morphology
- לָכֵן֮ (lākhēn) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks the logical conclusion or judgment based on prior actions.
- כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר (koh-ʾāmar) – Root: אמר; Form: Adverb + Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “thus said”; Notes: Prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- יְהוָה֒ (YHWH) – Root: – ; Form: Proper Name of God; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- אַתֶּם֙ (ʾattem) – Root: – ; Form: Independent pronoun 2mp; Translation: “you (plural)”; Notes: Subject of the accusation.
- לֹֽא־שְׁמַעְתֶּ֣ם (lo-shemaʿtem) – Root: שמע; Form: Negative particle + Qal perfect 2mp; Translation: “you did not listen”; Notes: Rejection of divine command.
- אֵלַ֔י (ʾēlay) – Root: – ; Form: Preposition + 1cs suffix; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Direct relationship emphasized.
- לִקְרֹ֣א (liqro) – Root: קרא; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “to proclaim”; Notes: Indicates purpose or expectation.
- דְרֹ֔ור (dərōr) – Root: דרר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “liberty”; Notes: Technical term for manumission, used in Jubilee context.
- אִ֥ישׁ לְאָחִ֖יו (ʾīsh leʾāḥiv) – Root: אישׁ / אח; Form: Masculine noun + preposition + noun with 3ms suffix; Translation: “each man to his brother”; Notes: Communal ethic implied.
- וְאִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ (veʾīsh lērēʿēhū) – Root: רעע; Form: Conjunction + noun + preposition + noun with 3ms suffix; Translation: “and each man to his companion”; Notes: Parallel construction emphasizing mutual obligation.
- הִנְנִ֣י (hinēnī) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection + 1cs suffix; Translation: “behold, I”; Notes: Marks divine self-involvement or impending action.
- קֹרֵא֩ (qōrēʾ) – Root: קרא; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “proclaiming”; Notes: Ongoing divine declaration.
- לָכֶ֨ם (lākhem) – Root: – ; Form: Preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “to you (plural)”; Notes: The audience of the declaration.
- דְּרֹ֜ור (dərōr) – Root: דרר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “liberty”; Notes: Ironically twisted—liberty not from slavery, but to judgment.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה (nəʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun construct + proper name; Translation: “utterance of YHWH”; Notes: Prophetic authenticity formula.
- אֶל־הַחֶ֨רֶב֙ (el-haḥerev) – Root: חרב; Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “to the sword”; Notes: Symbol of war.
- אֶל־הַדֶּ֣בֶר (el-haddever) – Root: דבר; Form: Preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the pestilence”; Notes: Symbol of plague or disease.
- וְאֶל־הָרָעָ֔ב (veʾel-hārāʿāv) – Root: רעב; Form: Conjunction + preposition + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “and to the famine”; Notes: Symbol of economic and agricultural collapse.
- וְנָתַתִּ֤י (venātattī) – Root: נתן; Form: Qal perfect 1cs with vav; Translation: “and I will give”; Notes: Introduction of divine judgment.
- אֶתְכֶם֙ (etkhem) – Root: – ; Form: Direct object pronoun 2mp; Translation: “you (plural)”; Notes: Object of divine action.
- לְזוּעָה (ləzūʿāh) – Root: זוע; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “as a horror”; Notes: Rare word; evokes trembling, object of dread.
- לְכֹ֖ל (ləkhol) – Root: כלל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to all”; Notes: Universal scope of coming judgment.
- מַמְלְכֹ֥ות (mamlekhōt) – Root: מלך; Form: Plural feminine noun; Translation: “kingdoms”; Notes: Geopolitical term.
- הָאָֽרֶץ (hāʾārets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Refers to all lands, possibly the nations surrounding Yisraʾel.