וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י לִבְנֹֽות־לָ֥הֿ בַ֖יִת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֑ר וְהוּכַ֛ן וְהֻנִּ֥יחָה שָּׁ֖ם עַל־מְכֻנָתָֽהּ׃ ס
And he said to me, “To build for her a house in the land of Shinʿar, and it shall be prepared, and she shall be set there upon her pedestal.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמֶר (va-yomer) — Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “And he said”; Notes: Introduces the angel’s explanation.
- אֵלַי (elai) — Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Preposition אֶל + suffix 1cs; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks the prophet as the addressed recipient.
- לִבְנֹות (livnot) — Root: בנה (banah); Form: Preposition לְ + Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to build”; Notes: Indicates purpose.
- ־לָהֿ (lah) — Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3fs; Translation: “for her”; Notes: Refers to the woman (personified wickedness) within the ephah.
- בַּיִת (bayit) — Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a house”; Notes: Denotes a structure built for her containment.
- בְּאֶרֶץ (be-erets) — Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the land of”; Notes: Introduces geographic location.
- שִׁנְעָר (Shinʿar) — Root: Uncertain; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shinar”; Notes: A region associated with Babylon; often symbolic of exile or rebellion.
- וְהוּכַן (ve-hukhan) — Root: כון (kun); Form: Hofal perfect 3ms; Translation: “and it shall be prepared”; Notes: Denotes readiness of the constructed house.
- וְהֻנִּיחָה (ve-hunniḥah) — Root: נוח (nuach); Form: Hophal perfect 3fs; Translation: “and she shall be set”; Notes: Feminine subject refers to the woman (wickedness) being placed into position.
- שָּׁם (sham) — Root: שם (sham); Form: Adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates the final location of placement.
- עַל־מְכֻנָתָהּ (ʿal-mekhunatah) — Root: כּון (kun); Form: Preposition עַל + noun feminine singular + suffix 3fs; Translation: “upon her pedestal”; Notes: “Pedestal” likely denotes a fixed base prepared for her containment.