וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת־נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל עַבְדִּי וְשַׂמְתִּי כִסְאוֹ מִמַּעַל לָאֲבָנִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר טָמָנְתִּי וְנָטָה אֶת־שְׂפִירוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם׃
And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Yisraʾel: “Behold, I am sending and I will take Nevukhadretstsar king of Bavel, My servant, and I will set his throne upon these stones which I have hidden, and he shall stretch out his canopy over them.
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and you shall say”; Notes: Direct instruction to Yirmeyahu.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (ʾaleihem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Audience of the prophetic message.
- כֹּה (koh) – Root: Particle; Form: Adverb; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Prophetic formula introducing divine speech.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Standard prophetic declaration.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker identified as the God of Israel.
- צְבָאֹות (tzevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tzeva); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “of hosts”; Notes: Military title for divine sovereignty.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾelohei) – Root: אלה (ʾeloah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Governs following proper noun.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Nation under covenant.
- הִנְנִי (hineni) – Root: Particle; Form: Interjection + 1st person singular pronoun; Translation: “behold, I”; Notes: Signals imminent divine action.
- שֹׁלֵחַ (sholeaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalach); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “sending”; Notes: Present/future action initiated by YHWH.
- וְלָקַחְתִּי (ve-laqaḥti) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and I will take”; Notes: Expresses YHWH’s direct control.
- אֶת־נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (et-Nevukadretzar) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Direct object marker + proper name; Translation: “Nebukadretzar”; Notes: Babylonian king.
- מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל (melekh-Bavel) – Root: מלך (melekh) + proper noun; Form: Construct chain; Translation: “king of Bavel”; Notes: Title and realm of Nebukadretzar.
- עַבְדִּי (ʿavdi) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Noun masculine singular construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My servant”; Notes: Nebukadretzar depicted as instrument of YHWH’s will.
- וְשַׂמְתִּי (ve-samti) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and I will set”; Notes: Establishes Nebukadretzar’s authority.
- כִסְאוֹ (kisʾo) – Root: כסא (kisseʾ); Form: Noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his throne”; Notes: Symbol of sovereignty.
- מִמַּעַל (mi-maʿal) – Root: מעל (maʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “above”; Notes: Spatial marker of dominance.
- לָאֲבָנִים (la-ʾavanim) – Root: אבן (ʾeven); Form: Preposition + noun feminine plural; Translation: “upon the stones”; Notes: Refers back to symbolic act of Jeremiah.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: Demonstrative; Form: Definite pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the stones mentioned.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: Particle; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces clause clarifying which stones.
- טָמָנְתִּי (tamaneti) – Root: טמן (taman); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have hidden”; Notes: Refers to Yirmeyahu’s symbolic action at YHWH’s command.
- וְנָטָה (ve-natah) – Root: נטה (natah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and he shall stretch out”; Notes: Refers to Nebukadretzar’s establishment of rule.
- אֶת־שְׂפִירוֹ (et-sefirō) – Root: שׂפר (safir); Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his canopy”; Notes: Regal pavilion or canopy spread as a sign of dominion.
- עֲלֵיהֶם (ʿaleihem) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “over them”; Notes: Refers back to the stones, symbolizing conquest.