Jeremiah 6:17

וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י עֲלֵיכֶם֙ צֹפִ֔ים הַקְשִׁ֖יבוּ לְקֹ֣ול שֹׁופָ֑ר וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹ֥א נַקְשִֽׁיב׃

And I appointed watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the shofar!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’

Morphology

1. וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י (va-haqimoti) – Root: קום; Form: Hifil wayyiqtol 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And I appointed”; Notes: Indicates a decisive action initiated by YHWH.
2. עֲלֵיכֶם (ʿaleikhem) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “over you”; Notes: Refers to the people being addressed (Yisraʾel).
3. צֹפִים (tsofim) – Root: צפה; Form: Qal active participle masculine plural; Translation: “watchmen”; Notes: Sentinels, often symbolic of prophets warning the people.
4. הַקְשִׁיבוּ (haqshivu) – Root: קשׁב; Form: Hifil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “Listen attentively”; Notes: Stronger than “hear”—calls for focused attention and obedience.
5. לְקֹול (le-qol) – Root: קול; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “to the sound of”; Notes: Direct object of “listen.”
6. שֹׁופָר (shofar) – Root: שׁופר; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “shofar” (ram’s horn); Notes: Used in biblical contexts as an alarm or summons from YHWH.
7. וַיֹּאמְרוּ (va-yomru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “But they said”; Notes: Introduces the people’s defiant response.
8. לֹא (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses refusal.
9. נַקְשִׁיב (naqshiv) – Root: קשׁב; Form: Hifil imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we will listen attentively”; Notes: Stated in the negative, it highlights their rejection of the warning.