כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָֽה־צְבָאֹות֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לֵאמֹ֗ר אַתֶּ֨ם וּנְשֵׁיכֶ֜ם וַתְּדַבֵּ֣רְנָה בְּפִיכֶם֮ וּבִידֵיכֶ֣ם מִלֵּאתֶ֣ם לֵאמֹר֒ עָשֹׂ֨ה נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה אֶת־נְדָרֵ֗ינוּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָדַ֨רְנוּ֙ לְקַטֵּר֙ לִמְלֶ֣כֶת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּלְהַסֵּ֥ךְ לָ֖הּ נְסָכִ֑ים הָקֵ֤ים תָּקִ֨ימְנָה֙ אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶ֔ם וְעָשֹׂ֥ה תַעֲשֶׂ֖ינָה אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶֽם׃ פ
Thus said YHWH of Hosts, the God of Yisraʾel, saying: ‘You and your wives, you spoke with your mouths and with your hands you fulfilled, saying, “We will surely perform our vows that we vowed, to burn incense to the Queen of the Heavens and to pour out libations to her.” Surely establish your vows and surely perform your vows.’
Morphology
- כֹּֽה (koh) – Root: כה; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Thus”; Notes: Introduces a divine declaration or prophetic message.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “said”; Notes: Indicates a past declaration by YHWH.
- יְהוָֽה־צְבָאֹות (YHWH-Tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא; Form: Proper noun with construct; Translation: “YHWH of armies”; Notes: A divine epithet emphasizing power and authority.
- אֱלֹהֵי (ʾElohei) – Root: אלוה; Form: Construct form of plural noun with pronominal suffix; Translation: “God of”; Notes: Construct with “Yisraʾel.”
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אַתֶּם (atem) – Root: אתם; Form: Independent personal pronoun, masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Addressed to the men.
- וּנְשֵׁיכֶם (u-nesheikhem) – Root: אשה; Form: Conjunction + noun, feminine plural + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and your wives”; Notes: Highlights joint responsibility.
- וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה (va-tedabbernah) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “and they spoke”; Notes: Refers to the wives; Piel emphasizes determined speaking.
- בְּפִיכֶם (be-fikhem) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular + 2mp suffix; Translation: “with your mouths”; Notes: Refers to spoken commitment.
- וּבִידֵיכֶם (u-vi-yedekhem) – Root: יד; Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun, dual/plural + 2mp suffix; Translation: “and with your hands”; Notes: Indicates action or fulfillment.
- מִלֵּאתֶם (milleʾtem) – Root: מלא; Form: Piel perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you fulfilled”; Notes: Highlights the completion of vows.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר; Form: Infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces content of the vow.
- עָשֹׂה נַעֲשֶׂה (ʿasoh naʿaseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Imperative + cohortative 1cp; Translation: “We will surely perform”; Notes: Emphatic repetition of the verb “to do.”
- אֶת־נְדָרֵינוּ (et-nedareinu) – Root: נדר; Form: Accusative marker + plural noun with 1cp suffix; Translation: “our vows”; Notes: Refers to religious pledges.
- אֲשֶׁר נָדַרְנוּ (asher nadarnu) – Root: נדר; Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 1cp; Translation: “which we vowed”; Notes: Describes the content of the vow.
- לְקַטֵּר (le-qatter) – Root: קטר; Form: Piel infinitive construct with preposition; Translation: “to burn incense”; Notes: Ritual worship terminology.
- לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם (li-mlekhet ha-shamayim) – Root: מלך; Form: Construct feminine singular + definite plural noun; Translation: “to the Queen of the Heavens”; Notes: Refers to a pagan deity, likely Ishtar/Astarte.
- וּלְהַסֵּךְ (u-le-hassekh) – Root: נסך; Form: Conjunction + Hiphil infinitive construct; Translation: “and to pour out”; Notes: Refers to libation offerings.
- לָהּ (lah) – Root: היא; Form: Preposition + 3fs suffix; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to the Queen of the Heavens.
- נְסָכִים (nesakhim) – Root: נסך; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “libations”; Notes: Ritual drink offerings.
- הָקֵים תָּקִימְנָה (haqem taqimnah) – Root: קום; Form: Imperative + imperfect 2fp (used emphatically); Translation: “Surely establish”; Notes: Emphatic repetition indicating certainty or command.
- אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶם (et-nidreikhem) – Root: נדר; Form: Accusative marker + plural noun with 2mp suffix; Translation: “your vows”; Notes: Repetition of object for rhetorical emphasis.
- וְעָשֹׂה תַעֲשֶׂינָה (ve-ʿasoh taʿaseynah) – Root: עשה; Form: Imperative + imperfect 2fp (emphatic); Translation: “surely perform”; Notes: Reinforces the speaker’s sarcastic or ironic tone.
- אֶת־נִדְרֵיכֶם (et-nidreikhem) – Root: נדר; Form: Accusative marker + plural noun with 2mp suffix; Translation: “your vows”; Notes: Final repetition of the object for strong rhetorical closure.