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עֲשֵׂ֖ה הָֽרַתּ֑וֹק כִּ֣י הָאָ֗רֶץ מָֽלְאָה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט דָּמִ֔ים וְהָעִ֖יר מָלְאָ֥ה חָמָֽס׃ 24 וְהֵֽבֵאתִי֙ רָעֵ֣י גוֹיִ֔ם וְיָרְשׁ֖וּ אֶת־בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֑ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ גְּא֣וֹן עַזִּ֔ים וְנִחֲל֖וּ מְקַֽדְשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ 25 קְפָ֖דָה־בָ֑א וּבִקְשׁ֥וּ שָׁל֖וֹם וָאָֽיִן׃ 26 הוָֹ֤ה עַל־הוָֹה֙ תָּב֔וֹא וּשְׁמֻעָ֥ה אֶל־שְׁמוּעָ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶ֑ה וּבִקְשׁ֤וּ חָזוֹן֙ מִנָּבִ֔יא וְתוֹרָה֙ תֹּאבַ֣ד מִכֹּהֵ֔ן וְעֵצָ֖ה מִזְּקֵנִֽים׃ 27 הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יִתְאַבָּ֗ל וְנָשִׂיא֙ יִלְבַּ֣שׁ שְׁמָמָ֔ה וִידֵ֥י עַם־הָאָ֖רֶץ תִּבָּהַ֑לְנָה מִדַּרְכָּ֞ם אֶעֱשֶׂ֤ה אוֹתָם֙ וּבְמִשְׁפְּטֵיהֶ֣ם אֶשְׁפְּטֵ֔ם וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 23

            רתוק  “chain” (BDB, 958)

            חמס  “violence, wrong”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The first verb is an imperative.
• The word, רתוק, is a ::glossary(hapax legomenon):: (only occurs once in MT).  The meaning is based on the verbal root, רתק, meaning “put in fetters (bonds).”  Following Ezekiel 16:20 (וְהֶעֱל֤וּ עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ קָהָ֔ל וְרָגְמ֥וּ אוֹתָ֖ךְ בָּאָ֑בֶן וּבִתְּק֖וּךְ בְּחַרְבוֹתָֽם) and possibly LXX φυρμόν “disorder, mixture,” BHS suggests the textual emendation, בתוק “cut pieces.”  However, this unattested suggestion is dubious at best with the Targum reading “chain” (שׁילשׁלן) and Vulgate “bondage, shutting up” (conclusionem).
• The subjects of the verb, מלא, are feminine singular—ארץ and עיר.

Vocabulary

Verse 24

            ירשׁ  verb: “possess”

            גאון  “pride” (BDB, 144)

            עז  “strong, mighty” (BDB, 738)

            שׁבת  verb (Hiphil waw-consecutive perfect 1cs): “remove”

            חלל  verb (Niphal waw-consecutive perfect 3cpl): “be profaned”

Verse 25

            קפדה  “shuddering, horror” (BDB, 891)

Verse 26

            הוה  noun (fs): “ruin, disaster” (BDB, 217)

            שׁמועה  noun: “report” (BDB, 1035)

            חזון  “vision” (BDB, 302)

            אבד  verb (Qal imperfect 3fs): “be lost”

Verse 27

            לבשׁ  verb: “put on, clothe”

            שׁממה  “waste, devastation”

            אבל  verb: “mourn” (BDB, 5)

            בהל  verb (Niphal imperfect 3fpl): “be disturbed, terrified” (BDB, 96)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 24

• BDB suggests that the plural connotes superlative degree, רָעֵ֣י גוֹיִ֔ם “worst of the nations.”

Verse 25

• The waw (וּבִקְשׁ֥וּ שָׁל֖וֹם) is temporal, “when.”

Verse 26

• The formula, x על x (parallel to x אֵל x), as in הוָֹ֤ה עַל־הוָֹה֙ is an intensive or durative idea.  Other occurrences include Psalm 69:28 (תְּֽנָה־עָ֭וֹן עַל־עֲוֹנָ֑ם), Psalm 61:7; 2 Chronicles 21:15 (יָמִים עַל יָמִים) and Job 16:14 (יפְרְצֵנִי פֶרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ).
• The waw, וְתוֹרָה֙, is disjunctive “but” (waw + nonverb).
• What an indictment to say that the prophets have lost their vision, the priests the law and the elders counsel!

Verse 27

• This is the only reference to the leaders (or any of the people) being a desolation שׁממה; elsewhere it is only the land that is laid waste (cf. Leviticus 26:33; Isaiah 1:7, 6:11, 17:9, 62:4, 64:9; Jeremiah 4:27, 6:8, 9:10, 10:22, 12:10, 32:43, 34:22, 49:2, 33, 50:13; Lamentations 1:13; Ezekiel 6:14, 12:20, 14:15, 15:8, 29:10, 12, 32:15, 33:28, 35:3, 12, 14, 36:34; Joel 2:3, 4:19; Micah 1:7; Malachi 1:3).
• The prophetic promise, יָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה, is used when the Lord makes himself known to unbelievers by sending judgment (first found in Exodus 6:7, 7:5, 10:2, 14:4, 18, 16:12, 29:46; also see 1 Kings 20:13, 28; Isaiah 49:23, 26, 60:16; Jeremiah 9:23; Joel 4:17).  It is found ubiquitously in Ezekiel (cf. 5:13; 6:7, 10, 13ff; 7:4, 9, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15ff, 20; 13:14, 21, 23; 14:8; 15:7; 16:62; 17:21; 20:38, 42, 44; 21:10; 22:16, 22; 24:27; 25:5, 7, 11, 17; 26:6; 28:22f, 26; 29:9, 21; 30:8, 19, 25ff; 32:15; 33:29; 34:27, 30; 35:4, 9, 12, 15; 36:11, 23, 38; 37:6, 13ff, 28; 38:23; 39:6ff, 22, 28).

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