לָכֵ֞ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹא־יֵאָמֵ֨ר עֹ֤וד הַתֹּ֨פֶת֙ וְגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֔ם כִּ֖י אִם־גֵּ֣יא הַהֲרֵגָ֑ה וְקָבְר֥וּ בְתֹ֖פֶת מֵאֵ֥ין מָקֹֽום׃
Therefore, behold, days are coming, declares YHWH, when it will no longer be called the Tofet and the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of the Slaughter; and they shall bury in the Tofet because there is no place.
Morphology
- לָכֵ֞ן (lakhen) – Root: כן; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Introduces consequence or divine response.
- הִנֵּֽה־ (hinneh) – Root: הנה; Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Attention marker for an imminent prophetic event.
- יָמִ֤ים (yamim) – Root: יום; Form: Masculine plural noun; Translation: “days”; Notes: Prophetic time reference.
- בָּאִים֙ (baʾim) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “are coming”; Notes: Ongoing or imminent action.
- נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה (neʾum-YHWH) – Root: נאם; Form: Construct noun + divine name; Translation: “declares YHWH”; Notes: Formal prophetic declaration.
- וְלֹא־יֵאָמֵ֨ר (ve-lo-yeʾamer) – Root: אמר; Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular with negative; Translation: “and it shall no longer be said”; Notes: Passive form indicating what will no longer be called.
- עֹ֤וד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “any longer” / “again”; Notes: Reinforces negation of past identification.
- הַתֹּ֨פֶת֙ (ha-tofet) – Root: תפת; Form: Definite feminine singular noun; Translation: “the Tofet”; Notes: Site of prior child sacrifices.
- וְגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֔ם (ve-gei ven-Hinnom) – Root: גיא, בן; Form: Construct noun phrase; Translation: “and the Valley of Ben-Hinnom”; Notes: Historical name of the site, soon to be renamed.
- כִּ֖י אִם־ (ki im) – Roots: כי, אם; Form: Conjunction + exception marker; Translation: “but rather”; Notes: Introduces the new name as contrast.
- גֵּ֣יא הַהֲרֵגָ֑ה (gei ha-haregah) – Root: הרג; Form: Construct noun + definite noun; Translation: “Valley of the Slaughter”; Notes: New prophetic name signifying judgment and mass death.
- וְקָבְר֥וּ (ve-qavru) – Root: קבר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural with vav; Translation: “and they shall bury”; Notes: Refers to overwhelming death requiring burials at Tofet.
- בְתֹ֖פֶת (ve-tofet) – Root: תפת; Form: Preposition + feminine singular noun; Translation: “in Tofet”; Notes: The desecrated site will become a mass grave.
- מֵאֵ֥ין (me-ein) – Root: אין; Form: Preposition + particle of non-existence; Translation: “for lack of”; Notes: Indicates reason for using Tofet as burial ground.
- מָקֹֽום (maqom) – Root: קום; Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “place”; Notes: No other burial sites will remain due to the scale of death.