בְּדָמֵ֨ךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁפַ֜כְתְּ אָשַׁ֗מְתְּ וּבְגִלּוּלַ֤יִךְ אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂית֙ טָמֵ֔את וַתַּקְרִ֣יבִי יָמַ֔יִךְ וַתָּבֹ֖אוּ עַד־שְׁנֹותָ֑יִךְ עַל־כֵּ֗ן נְתַתִּ֤יךְ חֶרְפָּה֙ לַגֹּויִ֔ם וְקַלָּסָ֖ה לְכָל־הָאֲרָצֹֽות׃
In the prophetic indictment of Yechezqel 22:4, God delivers a blistering judgment against Jerusalem. This verse is part of a broader allegory where Jerusalem is portrayed as an unfaithful wife, guilty of idolatry, bloodshed, and moral decay. Yet beneath its vivid imagery lies a subtle but powerful grammatical structure — one that binds together guilt, time, and divine retribution through a unique syntactic construction.
The phrase בְּדָמֵךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁפַכְתְּ אָשַׁמְתְּ — “in your blood that you have shed, you are guilty” — introduces a rare Hebrew construction known as the instrumental preposition + relative clause + predicate verb. It is not merely a statement of guilt; it is a linguistic formula that defines the very mechanism of divine judgment — guilt determined by action, embedded in time, and sealed by language.
A Syntax of Condemnation: How Guilt Is Grammatically Bound to Action
Let us begin with the opening line:
בְּדָמֵךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁפַכְתְּ אָשַׁמְתְּ
This translates as: “In your blood that you have shed, you are guilty.” At first glance, this may seem like a simple causal relationship — you are guilty because you shed blood. But the syntax reveals something deeper: the guilt is not simply caused by the act; it is linguistically bound to it. The guilt exists within the blood itself, and the shedding of that blood is what activates the guilt.
Breaking down the components:
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָשַׁמְתְּ | א-ש-ם | Qal perfect, 2fs | “you are guilty” | Appears after a complex nominal clause, functioning as a predicate verb. |
The use of the perfect tense here is significant. It does not say “you will be guilty,” or “you became guilty.” Rather, it declares the guilt as a completed state — already true, already real — tied inseparably to the act of shedding blood.
The Binding of Blood and Blame: A Linguistic Formula for Divine Justice
The structure בְּX אֲשֶׁר Y, Z — “in X that Y, Z” — is uncommon in Biblical Hebrew, especially when used in legal or theological contexts. Here, it serves to bind the guilt (Z) directly to the action (Y), which is located within a specific element (X).
This same pattern appears elsewhere in prophetic literature when defining irreversible divine judgments:
בְּחַטָּאתָם אָבָ֑דוּ כִּ֥י פָשְׁע֖וּ בִּֽי (Hoshea 14:2)
בְּעַמָּם הִיא תִּקָּבֵ֔עַ אֲשֶׁר־חָמַ֖דְתְּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ (Mishlei 27:24)
In each case, the guilt or consequence is linguistically embedded within the act or object described. It is not just what was done, but how it was done, and where — all woven into a single declarative sentence that seals the fate of the accused.
From Blood to Years: The Temporal Layer of Guilt
Following the declaration of guilt comes a striking temporal shift:
וַתַּקְרִיבִי יָמַ֔יִךְ וַתָּבֹ֖אוּ עַד־שְׁנֹותָ֑יִךְ
“And you brought forward your days, and came to your years.”
This poetic expression suggests that the city has reached a predetermined point in time — not merely chronologically, but morally. The guilt has matured. The appointed moment of reckoning has arrived. The verb קָרַב (“to draw near”) appears in the hiphil stem, indicating causation — she has hastened her own end — while בּוֹא (“to come”) is in the qal stem, simply affirming arrival at the destined point.
This notion of guilt unfolding over time, culminating in judgment, is deeply embedded in the theology of the prophets. And here, in Yechezqel, it is expressed not only thematically but structurally — through a sequence of actions that lead inevitably to punishment.
Time’s Sentence: When Language Becomes Eternal
The final lines seal the verdict:
עַל־כֵּן נְתַתִּיךְ חֶרְפָּה לַגֹּויִם וְקַלָּסָ֖ה לְכָל־הָאֲרָצֹות
“Therefore I have given you over to shame among the nations, to scorn among all the lands.”
Note the return to the perfect tense — נְתַתִּיךְ (“I have given you”) — echoing the earlier אָשַׁמְתְּ. Once again, the prophet uses the perfective form not to describe past events, but to declare irreversible realities. The sentence has been passed. The exile has begun. The shame is permanent.
The Final Clause: Scorn That Echoes Through Syntax
In conclusion, the grammar of Yechezqel 22:4 does more than accuse — it enacts. The structure of the sentence mirrors the inevitability of divine justice. From the instrumental phrase that binds guilt to blood, to the perfect tenses that seal the city’s fate, every word is a thread in the tapestry of doom.
Here, language is not passive. It is performative. What is spoken is done. What is declared is etched into time. And what is written in the scroll of prophecy remains — a warning, a verdict, and a testament to the power of Hebrew grammar to shape the destiny of a people.