עַתָּ֡ה הִנֵּ֣ה בָטַ֣חְתָּ לְּךָ֡ עַל־מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩ הַקָּנֶ֨ה הָרָצ֤וּץ הַזֶּה֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ אִישׁ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבָ֥א בְכַפֹּ֖ו וּנְקָבָ֑הּ כֵּ֚ן פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְכָֽל־הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים עָלָֽיו׃
Now, behold, you have trusted in yourself upon this broken reed of a staff, on Mitsrayim; which if a man leans on it, it will go into his palm and pierce it. So is Parʿo king of Mitsrayim to all who trust in him.
Morphology
- עַתָּ֡ה (ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Adverb; Translation: “Now”; Notes: Signals the present situation or consequence.
- הִנֵּ֣ה (hinneh) – Root: הן; Form: Demonstrative particle; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Draws attention to the action being criticized.
- בָטַ֣חְתָּ (bataḥta) – Root: בטח; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you have trusted”; Notes: Refers to reliance, here portrayed as foolish.
- לְּךָ֡ (lekha) – Root: ל; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in yourself” or “for yourself”; Notes: May reflect reflexive emphasis.
- עַל־מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩ (ʿal-mishʿenet) – Root: שׁען; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “upon the staff of support”; Notes: A metaphor for political alliance or dependency.
- הַקָּנֶ֨ה (ha-qaneh) – Root: קנה; Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the reed”; Notes: Emphasizes fragility.
- הָרָצ֤וּץ (ha-ratsuts) – Root: רצץ; Form: Definite passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “that is broken”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the danger of trusting such a support.
- הַזֶּה֙ (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the object of critique—Mitsrayim.
- עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם (ʿal-Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים; Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “on Mitsrayim”; Notes: The object of Yehudah’s trust.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause about the reed.
- יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ (yissamekh) – Root: סמך; Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “leans”; Notes: Passive/reflexive—when someone leans upon it.
- אִישׁ֙ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Generic human subject.
- עָלָ֔יו (ʿalayv) – Root: על; Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “on it”; Notes: Refers back to the reed/Mitsrayim.
- וּבָ֥א (uva) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it will go”; Notes: Indicates the result of trusting it.
- בְכַפֹּ֖ו (ve-kappo) – Root: כף; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “into his palm”; Notes: Image of injury by collapse of the reed.
- וּנְקָבָ֑הּ (u-nekavah) – Root: נקב; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and pierce it”; Notes: Injury caused by the object of trust.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: —; Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Introduces the analogy’s conclusion.
- פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם (Parʿo melekh-Mitsrayim) – Root: פרעה, מלך, מצרים; Form: Proper noun + construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “Parʿo king of Mitsrayim”; Notes: Represents Egypt’s unreliability.
- לְכָֽל־הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים עָלָֽיו (le-kol ha-botḥim ʿalayv) – Root: בטח; Form: Preposition + construct noun + definite participle masculine plural + preposition + suffix; Translation: “to all who trust in him”; Notes: Marks the target audience of the proverb.