וְאַתָּ֛ה תְּבַקֶּשׁ־לְךָ֥ גְדֹלֹ֖ות אַל־תְּבַקֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֡י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא רָעָ֤ה עַל־כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנָתַתִּ֨י לְךָ֤ אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ לְשָׁלָ֔ל עַ֥ל כָּל־הַמְּקֹמֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּֽלֶךְ־שָֽׁם׃ ס
But you, do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them! For behold, I am bringing evil upon all flesh,” declares YHWH, “but I will give you your life as spoil in all the places where you shall go.”’”
Morphology
- וְאַתָּה (ve-ʾattah) – Root: אתה; Form: Conjunction + independent pronoun, masculine singular; Translation: “But you”; Notes: Shifts focus directly to Barukh.
- תְּבַקֶּשׁ־לְךָ (tevaqqesh-lekha) – Root: בקש; Form: Piel imperfect 2ms + prepositional suffix; Translation: “you seek for yourself”; Notes: Implies pursuit of self-interest or ambition.
- גְדֹלוֹת (gedolot) – Root: גדל; Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “great things”; Notes: Refers to ambition, honor, or prominence.
- אַל־תְּבַקֵּשׁ (ʾal-tevaqqesh) – Root: בקש; Form: Negative particle + Piel jussive 2ms; Translation: “do not seek”; Notes: Strong prohibitive command.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces a reason for the preceding command.
- הִנְנִי (hinneni) – Root: הן; Form: Interjection + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Behold, I”; Notes: Emphatic attention to what YHWH is about to do.
- מֵבִיא (meviʾ) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil active participle masculine singular; Translation: “am bringing”; Notes: Indicates causation—YHWH initiating calamity.
- רָעָה (raʿah) – Root: רעע; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “evil” or “disaster”; Notes: Refers to calamity or judgment.
- עַל־כָּל־בָּשָׂר (ʿal-kol-basar) – Root: בשר; Form: Preposition + construct phrase; Translation: “upon all flesh”; Notes: Idiom meaning “all people” or “all humanity.”
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Common prophetic formula of divine authority.
- וְנָתַתִּי (ve-natatti) – Root: נתן; Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “but I will give”; Notes: Contrasting promise of personal preservation.
- לְךָ (lekha) – Root: אתה; Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “give.”
- אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ (et-nafshekha) – Root: נפש; Form: Accusative marker + noun with 2ms suffix; Translation: “your life”; Notes: Life itself is the prize or spoil preserved.
- לְשָׁלָל (le-shalal) – Root: שלל; Form: Preposition + noun, masculine singular; Translation: “as spoil”; Notes: Military metaphor—life granted like plunder rescued from destruction.
- עַל כָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת (ʿal kol-ha-meqomot) – Root: קום; Form: Preposition + construct phrase + definite plural noun; Translation: “in all the places”; Notes: Wherever Barukh might go, divine protection follows.
- אֲשֶׁר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “where”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause describing Barukh’s movements.
- תֵּלֶךְ (telekh) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperfect 2ms; Translation: “you shall go”; Notes: Simple future or habitual action.
- שָׁם (sham) – Root: שם; Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Completes the spatial clause—wherever you go.