וָאֹמַ֗ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּ֖י מָה־אֵ֑לֶּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י אֵ֤לֶּה הַקְּרָנֹות֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר זֵר֣וּ אֶת־יְהוּדָ֔ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וִירוּשָׁלָֽם׃ ס
And I said to the messenger who was speaking in me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that scattered Yehuda, Yisraʾel, and Yerushalayim.”
Morphology
- וָאֹמַר (va-omar) — Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1cs; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s inquiry.
- אֶל (el) — Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the addressee.
- הַמַּלְאָךְ (ha-malʾakh) — Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the messenger”; Notes: The same angelic guide in the vision.
- הַדֹּבֵר (ha-dover) — Root: דבר (davar); Form: Qal participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the one speaking”; Notes: Indicates ongoing speech within the prophet.
- בִּי (bi) — Root: ב (b); Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 1cs; Translation: “in me”; Notes: The message is internally communicated.
- מָה־אֵלֶּה (mah-elleh) — Root: מה (mah) + אלה (elleh); Form: Interrogative + demonstrative plural; Translation: “What are these”; Notes: Seeks identification of the horns.
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) — Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: The messenger responds.
- אֵלַי (elai) — Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates direction of the reply.
- אֵלֶּה (elleh) — Root: אלה (elleh); Form: Demonstrative plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the four horns.
- הַקְּרָנֹות (ha-qeranot) — Root: קרן (qeren); Form: Definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “the horns”; Notes: Symbolic of hostile powers.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) — Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
- זֵרוּ (zeru) — Root: זרה (zarah); Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “scattered”; Notes: Describes the destructive work of the horns.
- אֶת־יְהוּדָה (et-Yehudah) — Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Object marker אֶת + proper noun; Translation: “Yehudah”; Notes: Target of the scattering.
- אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל (et-Yisraʾel) — Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Object marker אֶת + proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Second target of the scattering.
- וִירוּשָׁלָם (vi-Yerushalayim) — Root: ירושלם (Yerushalayim); Form: Conjunction + proper noun; Translation: “and Yerushalayim”; Notes: Final member of the triad of afflicted entities.
- ס (samekh) — Root: —; Form: Masoretic parasha marker; Translation: “—”; Notes: Indicates a petucha section break.