Tag Archives: Ezekiel 21:12

When Dread Becomes Flesh: Participles, Prophetic Syntax, and Emotional Collapse in Ezekiel 21:12

Ezekiel 21:12 וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ עַל־מָ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה נֶאֱנָ֑ח וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ אֶל־שְׁמוּעָ֣ה כִֽי־בָאָ֡ה וְנָמֵ֣ס כָּל־לֵב֩ וְרָפ֨וּ כָל־יָדַ֜יִם וְכִהֲתָ֣ה כָל־ר֗וּחַ וְכָל־בִּרְכַּ֨יִם֙ תֵּלַ֣כְנָה מַּ֔יִם הִנֵּ֤ה בָאָה֙ וְנִֽהְיָ֔תָה נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ Anticipatory Syntax: וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְהָיָה — A wayyiqtol 3ms of הָיָה, often translated “and it shall come to pass.” A frequent prophetic introduction setting a future condition. כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ — “when they say to you…” יֹאמְרוּ — Qal imperfect 3mp, with subject implied (the people) אֵלֶיךָ — “to you” — 2ms prepositional suffix Together, this conditional clause sets up a rhetorical interaction: the prophet’s public actions will provoke a question.… Learn Hebrew
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