וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹת

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹת

   ve-la-ma-za-LOT

   and to the constellations
2. clause🔊 וְאֶת־הַֽמְקַטְּרִ֣ים לַבַּ֗עַל לַשֶּׁ֤מֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵ֙חַ֙ וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹת וּלְכֹ֖ל צְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

   ve-ET-ha-me-kat-te-RIM la-BA-al la-SHE-mesh ve-la-ya-RE-akh ve-la-ma-za-LOT u-le-KHOL tse-VA ha-sha-MA-yim

   and the ones burning incense to Baal to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all host or army of the heavens
3. sentence🔊 וְהִשְׁבִּ֣ית אֶת־הַכְּמָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָֽתְנוּ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיְקַטֵּ֤ר בַּבָּמוֹת֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וּמְסִבֵּ֖י יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְאֶת־הַֽמְקַטְּרִ֣ים לַבַּ֗עַל לַשֶּׁ֤מֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵ֙חַ֙ וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹת וּלְכֹ֖ל צְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

   ve-hish-BIT ET-ha-ke-ma-RIM a-SHER na-te-NU mal-KHE ye-hu-DA va-ye-kat-TER ba-ba-MOT be-a-RE ye-hu-DA u-me-si-BE ye-ru-sha-LA-yim ve-ET-ha-me-kat-te-RIM la-BA-al la-SHE-mesh ve-la-ya-RE-akh ve-la-ma-za-LOT u-le-KHOL tse-VA ha-sha-MA-yim

   and he caused to cease or removed the priests whom or which they had appointed or given kings of Judah and to make smoke or burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and from around Jerusalem and the ones burning incense to Baal to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all host or army of the heavens

Exegesis

The nominalized participle hamməqaṭṭērîm {הַֽמְקַטְּרִים | hamməqaṭṭērîm} ‘those who burn incense’ then enumerates its targets through repeated prepositions—labbāʿal {לַבַּ֗עַל | labbāʿal} ‘to Baal’, läššemeš {לַשֶּׁ֤מֶשׁ | läššemeš} ‘to the sun’, wəlayyārēaḥ {וְלַיָּרֵ֙חַ֙ | wəlayyārēaḥ} ‘to the moon’, wəlammazzālōṯ {וְלַמַּזָּל֔וֹת | wəlammazzālōṯ} ‘to the constellations’, and ūləḵōl ṣǝḇāʾ haššāmayim {וּלְכֹ֖ל צְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמָֽיִם | ūləḵōl ṣǝḇāʾ haššāmayim} ‘and to the entire host of heaven’. This structure underscores the comprehensive scope of Josiah’s purge of astral worship.

Root and etymology

מ־ז־ל🔊 m–z–l

“constellation”

• 🔊 מַזָּלmazzālluckIsaiah 47:13