וְאִם־אֹמְרִים אַתֶּם לֹא נֵשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹול יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
But if you are saying, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ so as not to obey the voice of YHWH your God,
Morphology
- וְאִם (ve-ʾim) – Root: Particle; Form: Conjunction + conditional particle; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Introduces conditional clause in contrast.
- אֹמְרִים (ʾomrim) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Denotes their present attitude or intention.
- אַתֶּם (ʾatem) – Root: Independent pronoun; Form: 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Explicit subject of the verb.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- נֵשֵׁב (neshev) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we will dwell”; Notes: Expresses their refusal in future intention.
- בָּאָרֶץ (ba-ʾaretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Preposition + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the land”; Notes: Refers specifically to the land promised by YHWH.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: זה (zeh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Qualifies “the land.”
- לְבִלְתִּי (le-vilti) – Root: בל (bal); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct negative; Translation: “so as not”; Notes: Expresses purpose in negative form.
- שְׁמֹעַ (shmoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to obey/hear”; Notes: Object of the negative purpose phrase.
- בְּקֹול (be-qol) – Root: קול (qol); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “the voice”; Notes: Refers to divine command.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Divine speaker.
- אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (ʾeloheikhem) – Root: אלוה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Denotes covenant relationship.