שִׁמְעָ֤ה עַמִּ֨י וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ אָנֹֽכִי׃
Hear, My people, and I will speak; Yisraʾel, and I will testify against you; God, your God, I am.
| # | Hebrew | Transliteration | Literal Gloss | Morph Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | שִׁמְעָה | shimʿah | “hear” | Qal imperative 2ms |
| 2 | עַמִּי | ʿammi | “My people” | N(ms) + suff 1cs |
| 3 | וַאֲדַבֵּרָה | va-ʾadabberah | “and I will speak” | Piel cohortative 1cs |
| 4 | יִשְׂרָאֵל | Yisraʾel | “Yisraʾel” | Proper N |
| 5 | וְאָעִידָה | ve-ʾaʿidah | “and I will testify” | Hiphil cohortative 1cs |
| 6 | בָּךְ | bakh | “against you” | Prep בְּ + suff 2ms |
| 7 | אֱלֹהִים | ʾelohim | “God” | N(mp) |
| 8 | אֱלֹהֶיךָ | ʾelohekha | “your God” | N(mp) + suff 2ms |
| 9 | אָנֹכִי | ʾanokhi | “I” | Pron 1cs |
Morphology
- שִׁמְעָה (shimʿah) – Root: שׁמע (sh-m-ʿ); Root Type: III-Guttural (ע); Binyan: Qal; Form: Imperative 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “Hear”; Notes: A direct call for attentive listening, often used in covenantal contexts. The command shim’ah (“Hear/Listen”)—with the suffix ‑ah at the end of the verb—forms an intensive or “cohortative” imperative. It is an urgent plea or a formal demand for attention.
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם (ʿam); Root Type: I-Guttural (ע); Form: Noun masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “My people”; Notes: Denotes covenant relationship between speaker and audience. Even though this is a trial, God still calls them “My people” (עַמִּי). The relationship is the basis for the judgment.
- וַאֲדַבֵּרָה (va-ʾadabberah) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Root Type: Strong; Binyan: Piel; Form: Conjunction וַ + cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will speak”; Notes: The cohortative expresses volition or intent, emphasizing the speaker’s determination to speak.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Root Type: Proper Noun; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Direct address to the covenant nation.
- וְאָעִידָה (ve-ʾaʿidah) – Root: עוד (ʿ-w-d); Root Type: Hollow; Binyan: Hiphil; Form: Conjunction וְ + cohortative 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I will testify”; Notes: Indicates giving witness, often in a legal or covenantal sense.
- בָּךְ (bakh) – Root: ב (prep); Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “against you”; Notes: Indicates the object of testimony. This is the correct legal sense of the preposition be- when used with this verb. God is acting as both the Judge and the Star Witness in His own court.
- אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the one God, though plural in form.
- אֱלֹהֶיךָ (ʾelohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Root Type: I-Guttural (א); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “your God”; Notes: Emphasizes personal relationship and accountability.
- אָנֹכִי (ʾanokhi) – Root: —; Root Type: Particle (Strong); Form: Independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Strong emphatic pronoun highlighting the speaker’s identity. In Hebrew, there are two ways to say “I.” Ani is the common one, but ʾanokhi is the more formal, majestic version. It is the very first word of the Ten Commandments (“I am YHWH your God…”). The Authority — by saying “God, your God, I am,” He is re-establishing the Sinai contract. He is saying, “I have the right to testify against you because of who I am to you.” The translation of the last clause is striking. Most English versions read, “I am God, your God,” but by placing “I am” at the end (“God, your God, I am”), the rendering follows the Hebrew syntax. This positions the weight on the identity (ʾanokhi) at the very end, like a seal pressed into wax. It creates a circle of logic:
1. I speak.
2. I testify.
3. Because I am who I am.In this literal reading, does it feel more like God is reminding them of His love (“your God”), or more like He is asserting His power (“I am”)?