| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with ve'amarta {וְאָמַרְתָּ | wə-’āmar-tā} ‘and you shall say,’ which introduces prophetic speech. The imperative shimʿu {שִׁמְעוּ | šim-ʿû} ‘hear’ functions as a summons to the addressed groups malkhei Yehudah {מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה | mal-khê yə-hū-dāh} ‘kings of Judah’ and veyoshvei Yerushalayim {וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם | wə-yōsh-vê yə-rū-shā-lā-yim} ‘inhabitants of Jerusalem.’ The prophetic formula koh-amar {כֹּה־אָמַר | kō-’ā-mar} ‘thus says’ introduces the divine address, here carried by the compound names Yahweh Tsevaot {יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת | Yə-hō-wāh tsə-vā-’ōt} and Elohei Yisrael {אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | ʾĕ-lō-hê yis-rā-ʾêl}, anchoring both divine authority and covenant relationship. The particle hineni {הִנְנִי | hin-nē-nî} ‘behold I’ signals immediacy, while the Hiphil participle mevi {מֵבִיא | mē-ḇî} ‘bringing’ underscores ongoing divine action. The phrase raʿah al-ham-makom hazeh {רָעָה עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה | rā-ʿāh ʿal-ham-mā-qōm haz-zeh} frames the imminent judgment, and the relative clause asher kol-shomʿah titstsalnah oznav {אֲשֶׁר כָּל־שֹׁמְעָהּ תִּצַּלְנָה אָזְנָיו | ʾă-šer kol-šom-ʿāh tit-tsal-nāh ʾōz-nāv} describes the visceral effect that everyone’s ears will physically react, conveying communal shock. |