וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ תַּ֣חַת מֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֨ה יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ לָ֖נוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עֲזַבְתֶּ֤ם אֹותִי֙ וַתַּעַבְד֞וּ אֱלֹהֵ֤י נֵכָר֙ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔ם כֵּ֚ן תַּעַבְד֣וּ זָרִ֔ים בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א לָכֶֽם׃ ס
And it shall be, when you say, ‘For what reason has YHWH our God done to us all these things?” then you shall say to them, “Just as you have forsaken Me and have served foreign gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’”
Morphology
- וְהָיָה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional future scenario.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “when”; Notes: Temporal clause marker.
- תֹאמְרוּ (toʾmeru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you say”; Notes: Refers to the people addressing a question.
- תַּחַת (taḥat) – Root: תחת; Form: Preposition; Translation: “for what reason”; Notes: Idiomatic use here introducing a question of cause or motive.
- מֶה (mah) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “what”; Notes: Inquires about the reason for divine action.
- עָשָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשׂה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has done”; Notes: Completed action by YHWH.
- יְהֹוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of the God of Yisraʾel.
- אֱלֹהֵינוּ (Eloheinu) – Root: אלה; Form: Noun masculine plural in construct + 1cp suffix; Translation: “our God”; Notes: Construct phrase referring to the national deity.
- לָנוּ (lanu) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 1cp suffix; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Indicates recipient of action.
- אֶת־כָּל־אֵלֶּה (et-kol-elleh) – Root: את / כל / אלה; Form: Direct object marker + noun masculine singular absolute + demonstrative plural; Translation: “all these things”; Notes: Refers to the calamities or judgments inflicted.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-amarta) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “then you shall say”; Notes: Continuation of instruction.
- אֲלֵיהֶם (aleihem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3mp suffix; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Addressed to those questioning.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka-ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Preposition + relative particle; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Introduces a comparison.
- עֲזַבְתֶּם (ʿazavtem) – Root: עזב; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have forsaken”; Notes: Addresses collective abandonment of YHWH.
- אֹותִי (oti) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker + 1cs suffix; Translation: “Me”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the one forsaken.
- וַתַּעַבְדוּ (va-taʿavdu) – Root: עבד; Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 2mp; Translation: “and you served”; Notes: Serving idols in active rebellion.
- אֱלֹהֵי נֵכָר (Elohei nekar) – Root: אלה / נכר; Form: Construct noun masculine plural + noun masculine singular; Translation: “foreign gods”; Notes: Illicit deities worshiped in contrast to YHWH.
- בְּאַרְצְכֶם (be-artsthekhem) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with 2mp suffix; Translation: “in your land”; Notes: Context of idolatry within the homeland.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Introduces consequence matching the prior action.
- תַּעַבְדוּ (taʿavdu) – Root: עבד; Form: Qal imperfect 2mp; Translation: “you shall serve”; Notes: Future judgment mirroring past rebellion.
- זָרִים (zarim) – Root: זר; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “strangers”; Notes: Foreign masters or rulers in exile.
- בְּאֶרֶץ (be-erets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in a land”; Notes: Begins description of the place of exile.
- לֹא לָכֶם (lo lakhem) – Root: לא / ל; Form: Negative particle + preposition + 2mp suffix; Translation: “not yours”; Notes: Emphasizes the alien nature of the land of exile.