וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ אֶל־הָעָ֗ם עֵדִ֤ים אַתֶּם֙ בָּכֶ֔ם כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֞ם בְּחַרְתֶּ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לַעֲבֹ֣ד אֹותֹ֑ו וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ עֵדִֽים׃
And Yehoshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves YHWH, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (vayomer) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Sequential past action.
- יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ (Yehoshua) – Root: יהושע (Yehoshua); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yehoshua”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- אֶל־הָעָ֗ם (el-haʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition with definite noun; Translation: “to the people”; Notes: Indicating direction of speech.
- עֵדִ֤ים (ʿedim) – Root: עד (ʿed); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “witnesses”; Notes: Plural form of “witness.”
- אַתֶּם֙ (atem) – Root: אתם (ʾatem); Form: Pronoun, 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the clause.
- בָּכֶ֔ם (bakhem) – Root: בכם (bakhem); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “against yourselves”; Notes: Reflexive meaning.
- כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֞ם (ki-atem) – Root: כי (ki) + אתם (atem); Form: Conjunction + pronoun; Translation: “that you”; Notes: Introduces a clause explaining the reason.
- בְּחַרְתֶּ֥ם (beḥartem) – Root: בחר (baḥar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have chosen”; Notes: Completed action.
- לָכֶ֛ם (lakhem) – Root: לכם (lakhem); Form: Preposition with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for yourselves”; Notes: Reflexive choice.
- אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה (et-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper noun with direct object marker; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Object of the choice.
- לַעֲבֹ֣ד (laʿavod) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to serve”; Notes: Purpose of the choice.
- אֹותֹ֑ו (oto) – Root: את (ʾot) + הוא (hu); Form: Direct object pronoun, 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “Him”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
- וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ (vayomru) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (preterite) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Sequential action.
- עֵדִֽים (ʿedim) – Root: עד (ʿed); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “We are witnesses”; Notes: Confirming their declaration.