אֲשֶׁ֨ר קֹנֵיהֶ֤ן יַֽהֲרְגֻן֙ וְלֹ֣א יֶאְשָׁ֔מוּ וּמֹכְרֵיהֶ֣ן יֹאמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֖ה וַאעְשִׁ֑ר וְרֹ֣עֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יַחְמֹ֖ול עֲלֵיהֶֽן׃
Who their buyers kill them and are not held guilty, and their sellers say, ‘Blessed be YHWH, and I have become rich,’ and their shepherds do not spare them.
Morphology
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: —; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause describing the condition of the flock.
- קֹנֵיהֶן (qonehen) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Qal active participle masculine plural construct + suffix 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “their buyers”; Notes: Those who acquire the flock for exploitation.
- יַהֲרְגֻן (yahargun) – Root: הרג (harag); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “kill them”; Notes: Ongoing or characteristic action describing brutal treatment.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces a denial of moral or legal consequence.
- יֶאְשָׁמוּ (yeʾshamu) – Root: אשם (ʾasham); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they are held guilty”; Notes: Legal term indicating liability or guilt, here denied.
- וּמֹכְרֵיהֶן (u-mokhrehen) – Root: מכר (makhar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal active participle masculine plural construct + suffix 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “and their sellers”; Notes: Those who profit by transferring the flock to destruction.
- יֹאמַר (yoʾmar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he says”; Notes: Singular verb used distributively for each seller.
- בָּר֥וּךְ (barukh) – Root: ברך (barakh); Form: Passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “blessed”; Notes: Pious language masking moral corruption.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Proper divine name masculine singular; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine name is invoked hypocritically.
- וַאעְשִׁר (va-ʾaʿshir) – Root: עשר (ʿashar); Form: Conjunction וַ + Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “and I have become rich”; Notes: Speaker credits prosperity gained through exploitation.
- וְרֹעֵיהֶם (ve-roʿehem) – Root: רעה (raʿah); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “and their shepherds”; Notes: Leaders responsible for care but failing in duty.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: —; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the expected action of compassion.
- יַחְמֹול (yaḥmol) – Root: חמל (ḥamal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “spares”; Notes: Verb of pity or compassion, here explicitly absent.
- עֲלֵיהֶן (ʿalehen) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל + suffix 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “over them”; Notes: Refers back to the flock treated without mercy.