רָאשֶׁ֣יהָ בְּשֹׁ֣חַד יִשְׁפֹּ֗טוּ וְכֹהֲנֶ֨יהָ֙ בִּמְחִ֣יר יֹור֔וּ וּנְבִיאֶ֖יהָ בְּכֶ֣סֶף יִקְסֹ֑מוּ וְעַל־יְהוָה֙ יִשָּׁעֵ֣נוּ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲלֹ֤וא יְהוָה֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔נוּ לֹֽא־תָבֹ֥וא עָלֵ֖ינוּ רָעָֽה׃
Her heads judge with a bribe and her priests teach for a price and her prophets divine with silver yet upon YHWH they lean saying is not YHWH in our midst no evil shall come upon us.
Morphology
- רָאשֶׁיהָ (rasheha) — Root: ראשׁ (rosh); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “her heads”; Notes: Refers to the rulers of the nation/city.
- בְּשֹׁחַד (be-shoḥad) — Root: שׁחד (shoḥad); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “with a bribe”; Notes: Indicates corrupt means of rendering judgment.
- יִשְׁפֹּטוּ (yishpotu) — Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they judge”; Notes: Describes their ongoing judicial corruption.
- וְכֹהֲנֶיהָ (ve-kohanéha) — Root: כהן (kohen); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and her priests”; Notes: Religious leaders involved in corruption.
- בִּמְחִיר (bi-mkhir) — Root: מכר (makhar); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for a price”; Notes: Teaching becomes a commercial transaction.
- יֹורוּ (yoru) — Root: ירה (yarah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they teach”; Notes: Yarah in Qal can mean instruct or give authoritative guidance.
- וּנְבִיאֶיהָ (u-neviʾeha) — Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Conjunction וּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and her prophets”; Notes: Prophetic figures who misuse their role.
- בְּכֶסֶף (be-kesef) — Root: כסף (kesef); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “with silver”; Notes: Payment required for prophecy.
- יִקְסֹמוּ (yiqsemu) — Root: קסם (qasam); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they divine”; Notes: Illicit divination treated as a paid service.
- וְעַל (ve-ʿal) — Root: על (ʿal); Form: Conjunction וְ + preposition עַל; Translation: “yet upon”; Notes: Introduces a hypocritical reliance.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) — Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The object of their claimed trust.
- יִשָּׁעֵנוּ (yishaʿenu) — Root: ישע (yashaʿ); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “He will be a support for us”; Notes: Nifal here expresses passive trust, “He will protect us.”
- לֵאמֹר (le-emor) — Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces their boastful quotation.
- הֲלֹוא (halo) — Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle הֲ + negative particle לֹא; Translation: “is it not”; Notes: Rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) — Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ (be-qirbenu) — Root: קרב (qarav); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “in our midst”; Notes: Claiming divine presence as a shield despite their sins.
- לֹא (lo) — Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the coming of evil.
- תָבֹוא (tavo) — Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “shall come”; Notes: Feminine singular agrees with רָעָה.
- עָלֵינוּ (aleinu) — Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 1st person plural; Translation: “upon us”; Notes: Refers to future calamity they deny.
- רָעָה (raʿah) — Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Refers to disaster or judgment.