כִּי־מֹ֣ות נָמ֔וּת וְכַמַּ֨יִם֙ הַנִּגָּרִ֣ים אַ֔רְצָה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑פוּ וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ נֶ֔פֶשׁ וְחָשַׁב֙ מַֽחֲשָׁבֹ֔ות לְבִלְתִּ֛י יִדַּ֥ח מִמֶּ֖נּוּ נִדָּֽח׃
For we must surely die, and are like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be gathered again. Yet God does not take away life, but He devises thoughts so that the banished one is not cast off from Him.
Morphology
- כִּי־מֹ֣ות (ki-mot) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Conjunction + infinitive absolute; Translation: “For surely (dying)”; Notes: Emphatic expression of certainty.
- נָמ֔וּת (namut) – Root: מות (mut); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person plural; Translation: “we must die”; Notes: Completes the emphatic idiom: “surely we must die.”
- וְכַמַּ֨יִם֙ (ve-khamayim) – Root: מים (mayim); Form: Conjunction + preposition + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and like water”; Notes: Introduces a simile.
- הַנִּגָּרִ֣ים (ha-niggarim) – Root: נגר (nagar); Form: Nifal participle masculine plural with article; Translation: “that is poured out”; Notes: Describes water flowing irreversibly.
- אַ֔רְצָה (artzah) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular with directional he; Translation: “to the ground”; Notes: Indicates irreversible loss.
- אֲשֶׁ֖ר (asher) – Root: Relative pronoun; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑פוּ (lo yeʾasefu) – Root: אסף (asaf); Form: Negative particle + Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “cannot be gathered”; Notes: Refers to water that cannot be reclaimed.
- וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֤א (ve-lo yissa) – Root: נשא (nasaʾ); Form: Conjunction + negative particle + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and does not lift/take”; Notes: Here, in the sense of “taking away life.”
- אֱלֹהִים֙ (Elohim) – Root: אלוה (ʾEloah); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Subject of the verb.
- נֶ֔פֶשׁ (nefesh) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a soul” or “life”; Notes: Object of the verb “take.”
- וְחָשַׁב֙ (ve-ḥashav) – Root: חשב (ḥashav); Form: Conjunction + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “but He devised”; Notes: Introduces contrast with preceding clause.
- מַֽחֲשָׁבֹ֔ות (maḥashavot) – Root: חשב (ḥashav); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “plans” or “thoughts”; Notes: Refers to divine intentions or purposes.
- לְבִלְתִּ֛י (levilti) – Root: בלע (bilaʿ); Form: Preposition + infinitive construct; Translation: “so as not to”; Notes: Introduces purpose clause.
- יִדַּ֥ח (yiddaḥ) – Root: נדח (nadach); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “be cast away”; Notes: Refers to the banished person.
- מִמֶּ֖נּוּ (mimmennu) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from Him”; Notes: Refers to God as the one who does not permanently reject.
- נִדָּֽח (niddach) – Root: נדח (nadach); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “banished one”; Notes: The object of God’s redemptive intention.