| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vocative ben-adam {בֶּן־אָדָם | bĕn-ʾā-dām}, “son of man,” establishing the prophetic address. The subject hā-ʼănāšîm hā-ʼēlleh {הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה | hā-ʾă-nā-šîm hā-ʾēl-leh} “these men” is followed by the Hiphil verb hê-ʾĕlû {הֶעֱלוּ | hê-ʾĕ-lû} “they have lifted up,” taking gilû-lê-hem {גִלּוּלֵיהֶם | gil-lû-lê-hem} “their idols” with the prepositional phrase ʿal-lib-bām {עַל־לִבָּם | ʿal-lib-bām} “upon their heart,” highlighting internalized idolatry. The conjunction ū links to ū-miš-qōl ʿă-vō-nām {וּמִכְשׁוֹל עֲוֺנָם | û-miš-qōl ʿă-vō-nām} “and a stumblingblock of their iniquity,” which is given (nāt-nū {נָתְנוּ | nāt-nū}) “they have given” before their faces (nō-ḥaḥ pə-nê-hem {נֹכַח פְּנֵיהֶם | nō-ḥaḥ pə-nê-hem}), underscoring visible transgression. The double-form interrogative hă-ʾid-dā-rōš ʾid-dā-rēš lā-hem {הַאִדָּרֹשׁ אִדָּרֵשׁ לָהֶם | hă-ʾid-dā-rōš ʾid-dā-rēš lā-hem} in the Niphal imperfect emphasizes divine reluctance to be consulted by the unrepentant. The word order foregrounds human culpability prior to the divine reply. |