כִּי־כֹ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה לְאִ֤ישׁ יְהוּדָה֙ וְלִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְאַֽל־תִּזְרְע֖וּ אֶל־קֹוצִֽים׃
For thus said YHWH to a man of Yehuda and to Yerushalayim: “Break for yourselves a fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a reason or declaration.
- כֹ֣ה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Typical of prophetic speech formulae.
- אָמַ֣ר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct divine speech.
- יְהֹוָ֗ה (YHWH) – Root: Divine proper name; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Tetragrammaton, the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible.
- לְאִ֤ישׁ (le-ish) – Root: איש (ʾish); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to a man”; Notes: Refers generically to the people of Yehudah.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) – Root: יהודה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: The southern kingdom of Judah.
- וְלִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם (ve-li-Yerushalayim) – Root: ירושלים; Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition לְ + proper noun; Translation: “and to Yerushalayim”; Notes: The capital city addressed along with the nation.
- נִ֥ירוּ (niru) – Root: ניר (nir); Form: Imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Break up”; Notes: Agricultural metaphor calling for spiritual renewal; refers to plowing untilled ground.
- לָכֶ֖ם (lakhem) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for yourselves”; Notes: Reflexive emphasis, underscoring responsibility.
- נִ֑יר (nir) – Root: ניר (nir); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “fallow ground”; Notes: Unplowed or untilled field; metaphor for a receptive heart.
- וְאַל (veʾal) – Root: אל; Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle for prohibition; Translation: “and do not”; Notes: Introduces a negative command.
- תִּזְרְע֖וּ (tizreʿu) – Root: זרע (zaraʿ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you sow”; Notes: Refers to agricultural sowing, figuratively spiritual effort.
- אֶל־קֹוצִֽים (el-qotsim) – Root: קוץ (qots); Form: Preposition אֶל + plural noun masculine; Translation: “among thorns”; Notes: Thorns symbolize unfruitful or hostile environment.