שׁ֣וּבוּ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 שׁ֣וּבוּ

   SHU-vu

   return
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א

   SHU-vu NA

   return please
3. clause🔊 שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

   SHU-vu NA ISH mid-DAR-kho ha-ra-A ve-hei-TI-vu dar-KHEI-khem u-ma-al-le-KHEM

   return please each man or each one from his way the evil and make good or do well your ways and your deeds
4. sentence🔊 וְעַתָּ֡ה אֱמָר־נָ֣א אֶל־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יוֹצֵ֤ר עֲלֵיכֶם֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֹשֵׁ֥ב עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מַֽחֲשָׁבָ֑ה שׁ֣וּבוּ נָ֗א אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָֽרָעָ֔ה וְהֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃

   ve-a-TA e-MAR-NA el-I-SH-ye-hu-DA ve-al-yo-she-VE ye-ru-sha-LA-yim le-MOR KO a-MAR ye-ho-VAH hi-NE a-NO-khi yo-TSER a-le-KHEM ra-A ve-kho-SHEV a-le-KHEM ma-kha-sha-VA SHU-vu NA ISH mid-DAR-kho ha-ra-A ve-hei-TI-vu dar-KHEI-khem u-ma-al-le-KHEM

   and now say, please to a man of Judah or to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying thus says the LORD behold I forming against you evil or disaster and devising against you a plan or a thought return please each man or each one from his way the evil and make good or do well your ways and your deeds

Exegesis

The summons to repentance employs the Hiphil imperative ve-heitivu {וְהֵיטִיבוּ | wə-hê-ṭî-ḇû} ‘improve’ alongside the Qal imperative shuvu-na {שׁוּבוּ נָא | šû-ḇû nāʾ} ‘return now’, governing the parallel objects darkheikhem {דַּרְכֵיכֶם | darkhê-khem} ‘your ways’ and u-ma-alleikhem {וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם | û-ma-ʿal-lê-ḥem} ‘your deeds’, preserving Hebrew parallelism and emphasizing holistic transformation.

Root and etymology

š-w-b🔊 ש־ו־בshin–vav–bet

“to return, turn back”

• 🔊 תְּשׁוּבָהtĕ-šû-wāhrepentanceIsaiah 30:15