אֵיכָה֙ הָיְתָ֣ה לְזֹונָ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה נֶאֱמָנָ֑ה מְלֵאֲתִ֣י מִשְׁפָּ֗ט צֶ֛דֶק יָלִ֥ין בָּ֖הּ וְעַתָּ֥ה מְרַצְּחִֽים׃
How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She who was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.
Morphology
- אֵיכָה (eikhah) – Root: אי־כה; Form: Interrogative particle; Translation: “How”; Notes: Lamenting exclamation, expressing shock or sorrow.
- הָיְתָה (hayetah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has become”; Notes: Describes a tragic transformation.
- לְזֹונָה (le-zonah) – Root: זנה; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “a prostitute”; Notes: Symbol of covenant unfaithfulness or corruption.
- קִרְיָה (qiryah) – Root: קריה; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “city”; Notes: Refers specifically to Yerushalayim.
- נֶאֱמָנָה (neʾemanah) – Root: אמן; Form: Nifal participle feminine singular; Translation: “faithful”; Notes: Once dependable and loyal—now contrasted with corruption.
- מְלֵאֲתִי (meleʾati) – Root: מלא; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with noun feminine singular; Translation: “I was full”; Notes: Spoken from God’s perspective or poetic personification.
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) – Root: שׁפט; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “justice”; Notes: What once filled the city.
- צֶדֶק (tsedeq) – Root: צדק; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “righteousness”; Notes: Personified as a guest residing in the city.
- יָלִין (yalin) – Root: לון; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “lodged” or “dwelt”; Notes: Past habitation of righteousness.
- בָּהּ (bah) – Root: ב; Form: Preposition with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in her”; Notes: Refers to the city, feminine in Hebrew.
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “but now”; Notes: Marks contrast between past and present.
- מְרַצְּחִים (meratsetzim) – Root: רצח; Form: Piel participle masculine plural; Translation: “murderers”; Notes: Those who shed innocent blood now dwell in the place once known for justice.