אֵיכָ֤ה תֹֽאמְרוּ֙ חֲכָמִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ וְתֹורַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה אִתָּ֑נוּ אָכֵן֙ הִנֵּ֣ה לַשֶּׁ֣קֶר עָשָׂ֔ה עֵ֖ט שֶׁ֥קֶר סֹפְרִֽים׃
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Torah of YHWH is with us’? Surely, behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it a lie.
Morphology
- אֵיכָה (ʾeikhah) – Root: אי (ʾey); Form: Interrogative adverb; Translation: “How”; Notes: Expresses astonishment or indignation, often introducing a rebuke.
- תֹאמְרוּ (toʾmeru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “can you say”; Notes: Interrogative tone continued from “How.”
- חֲכָמִים (ḥakhamim) – Root: חכם (ḥakham); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “wise [men]”; Notes: Self-identification of the leaders or teachers being addressed.
- אֲנַחְנוּ (ʾanaḥnu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 1st person plural; Translation: “we”; Notes: Used emphatically to declare group identity.
- וְתֹורַת (ve-torat) – Root: ירה (yarah); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “and the Torah of”; Notes: “Torah” meaning law, teaching, or instruction.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hvh); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name, referring to the covenant God of Yisraʾel.
- אִתָּנוּ (ittanu) – Root: אתן (ʾt); Form: Preposition + 1st person plural suffix; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Claims possession of divine teaching.
- אָכֵן (ʾakhen) – Root: —; Form: Affirmation particle; Translation: “Surely”; Notes: Introduces a rebuttal or emphatic correction.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the shocking reality that follows.
- לַשֶּׁקֶר (la-sheqer) – Root: שׁקר (shaqar); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “for falsehood” or “as a lie”; Notes: Indicates the intent or outcome of the action.
- עָשָׂה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has made”; Notes: Refers to producing or transforming something deceptively.
- עֵט (ʿet) – Root: עטט (ʿt); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “pen”; Notes: Symbol of literary or scribal activity.
- שֶׁקֶר (sheqer) – Root: שׁקר (shaqar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “falsehood” or “lie”; Notes: Emphasizes deceit or untruth in what is written.
- סֹפְרִים (soferim) – Root: ספר (safar); Form: Qal active participle masculine plural; Translation: “scribes”; Notes: Refers to those entrusted with copying or teaching the Torah, now accused of falsifying it.