וָאֶשְׁלַח אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלֹחַ לֵאמֹר אַל־נָא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת דְּבַר־הַתֹּעֵבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאתִי׃
And I sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending, saying: “Do not, I pray you, do this abominable thing which I hate.”
Morphology
- וָאֶשְׁלַח (va-ʾeshlach) – Root: שׁלח (shalach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1st person singular; Translation: “and I sent”; Notes: YHWH speaks of repeatedly commissioning prophets.
- אֲלֵיכֶם (ʾaleikhem) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Denotes the recipients of the prophetic message.
- אֶת־כָּל (et-kol) – Root: Particle; Form: Direct object marker + noun; Translation: “all”; Notes: Introduces the object “all My servants.”
- עֲבָדַי (ʿavaday) – Root: עבד (ʿeved); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “My servants”; Notes: Refers to the prophets as YHWH’s agents.
- הַנְּבִיאִים (ha-neviʾim) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the prophets”; Notes: Identifies the servants as prophetic messengers.
- הַשְׁכֵּם (hashkem) – Root: שׁכם (shakam); Form: Hifil infinitive absolute; Translation: “rising early”; Notes: Idiom stressing diligence and urgency of sending prophets.
- וְשָׁלֹחַ (ve-shaloaḥ) – Root: שׁלח (shalach); Form: Infinitive absolute with prefixed conjunction; Translation: “and sending”; Notes: Reinforces continuous action of dispatching prophets.
- לֵאמֹר (leʾemor) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- אַל (ʾal) – Root: Particle; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Expresses prohibition.
- נָא (na) – Root: Particle; Form: Plea particle; Translation: “I pray you/please”; Notes: Adds urgency and entreaty.
- תַעֲשׂוּ (taʿasu) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you do”; Notes: Commanded action, here prohibited.
- אֵת (ʾet) – Root: Particle; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [no equivalent]; Notes: Introduces the direct object.
- דְּבַר־הַתֹּעֵבָה (devar-ha-toʿevah) – Root: דבר (davar), תועבה (toʿevah); Form: Construct chain, noun masculine singular + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the abominable thing”; Notes: Refers to idolatry.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot) – Root: Demonstrative; Form: Pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the abomination.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: Particle; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause.
- שָׂנֵאתִי (saneti) – Root: שׂנא (sane); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I hate”; Notes: Indicates divine detestation of idolatry.