הָעָ֔ם

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 הָעָ֔ם

   ha-AM

   the people
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם

   et-e-lo-HE ha-AM

   the gods of the people
3. clause🔊 וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ נָבִ֔יא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לָ֤מָּה דָרַ֙שְׁתָּ֙ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־הִצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־עַמָּ֖ם מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃

   va-yish-LAKH e-LAV na-VI va-yo-MER LO LAM-ma da-RASH-te et-e-lo-HE ha-AM a-SHER lo-hi-TSI-lu et-AM-mam mi-YA-de-kha

   and he sent to him a prophet and he said to him why have you sought the gods of the people who did not deliver their people from your hand
4. sentence🔊 וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בַּאֲמַצְיָ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ נָבִ֔יא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לָ֤מָּה דָרַ֙שְׁתָּ֙ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־הִצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־עַמָּ֖ם מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃

   va-yik-HAR-AF ye-ho-VAH ba-a-mats-ya-HU va-yish-LAKH e-LAV na-VI va-yo-MER LO LAM-ma da-RASH-te et-e-lo-HE ha-AM a-SHER lo-hi-TSI-lu et-AM-mam mi-YA-de-kha

   and anger burned the LORD against Amaziah and he sent to him a prophet and he said to him why have you sought the gods of the people who did not deliver their people from your hand

Exegesis

The construct et-elohei haam {אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי הָעָם | ʾet-ʾĕ·lō·hê-hā·ʿām} ‘the gods of the people’ is followed by the relative clause introduced by asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾă·šer} ‘who’, containing the negated Hiphil perfect lo-hitzilu {לֹא־הִצִּילוּ | lōʾ hi·ṣî·lû} ‘did not deliver’ + et-ammam {אֶת־עַמָּם | ʾet-ʿam·mām} ‘their people’ + miyadecha {מִיָּדֶךָ | mi·yā·ḏe·ḵā} ‘from your hand’. This syntax juxtaposes divine agency and human folly, using the rhetorical question to underscore the folly of seeking powerless deities.