לְמִימֵ֨י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֜ם סַרְתֶּ֤ם מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם שׁ֤וּבוּ אֵלַי֙ וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֥ה נָשֽׁוּב׃
From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says YHWH of Hosts. “And you say, ‘In what shall we return?’
Morphology
- לְמִימֵי (le-mimei) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “from the days of”; Notes: Temporal expression marking duration from past time.
- אֲבֹתֵיכֶם (ʾavotekhem) – Root: אב (ʾav); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “your fathers”; Notes: Ancestral reference.
- סַרְתֶּם (sartem) – Root: סור (sur); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have turned aside”; Notes: Indicates deviation or apostasy.
- מֵחֻקַּי (me-ḥuqqai) – Root: חקק (ḥaqaq); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “from My statutes”; Notes: Separation from divine decrees.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא; Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces second charge.
- שְׁמַרְתֶּם (shemartem) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you have kept”; Notes: Denial of obedience.
- שׁוּבוּ (shuvu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperative 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “Return”; Notes: Command of repentance.
- אֵלַי (ʾelai) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “to Me”; Notes: Direction toward YHWH.
- וְאָשׁוּבָה (ve-ʾashuvah) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal imperfect 1st person common singular with cohortative ending; Translation: “and I will return”; Notes: Expresses responsive action with volitional nuance.
- אֲלֵיכֶם (ʾaleikhem) – Root: —; Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Reciprocal relationship.
- אָמַר (ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “says”; Notes: Prophetic formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- צְבָאֹות (Tsevaʾot) – Root: צבא (tsava); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “Hosts”; Notes: Title emphasizing sovereignty.
- וַאֲמַרְתֶּם (va-ʾamartem) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal perfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “And you say”; Notes: Response of the audience.
- בַּמֶּה (ba-meh) – Root: מה; Form: Preposition בְּ + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “In what”; Notes: Questioning the need for repentance.
- נָשׁוּב (nashuv) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “shall we return”; Notes: Expresses doubt or challenge.