| 30. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the inferential adverb lakhen {לָכֵן | lā-ḵēn} ‘therefore’ introducing prophetic speech, followed by the Qal imperative emor {אֱמֹר | ʾĕ-mōr} ‘say’ and the prepositional phrase el beit yisrael {אֶל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾel-bêt-yiś-rā-ʾēl} ‘to the house of Israel’. The formulaic koh amar adonai Yahweh {כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה | kō ʾā-mar ʾă-dō-nāy Yə-hō-wāh} marks divine proclamation. The interrogative particle ha {הֲ | ha} introduces a rhetorical question in the clause bederakh avoteikhem {בְדֶרֶךְ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם | bə-ḏe-re-kh ʾă-ḇō-ṯê-ḵem} ‘in the way of your fathers’. The Nifal participle nitme’im {נִטְמְאִים | niṭ-mə-ʾîm} ‘are defiled’ and the Qal participle zonim {זוֹנִים | zō-nîm} ‘commit harlotry’ express ongoing apostasy. The construct shikkuzeihem {שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם | šiqqū-ṣê-hem} designates abhorrent idolatrous objects. The English rendition preserves the Hebrew’s interrogative parallelism and prophetic urgency. |