הַשֹּׁלֵ֨חַ בַּיָּ֜ם צִירִ֗ים וּבִכְלֵי־גֹמֶא֮ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם֒ לְכ֣וּ מַלְאָכִ֣ים קַלִּ֗ים אֶל־גֹּוי֙ מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמֹורָ֔ט אֶל־עַ֥ם נֹורָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גֹּ֚וי קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְא֥וּ נְהָרִ֖ים אַרְצֹֽו׃
which sends envoys by sea, and in vessels of papyrus on the face of the waters! Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared from then and onward, a nation measuring by line and trampled down, whose land the rivers have despised.
Morphology
- הַשֹּׁלֵחַ (ha-sholeaḥ) – Root: שלח (shalach); Form: Definite article + Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “he who sends”; Notes: Functions as a title or subject of the action.
- בַּיָּם (ba-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “by sea”; Notes: Locative prepositional phrase.
- צִירִים (tsirim) – Root: ציר (tsir); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “envoys,” “ambassadors”; Notes: Messengers sent diplomatically.
- וּבִכְלֵי־גֹמֶא (u-vikhlei-gome) – Root: כְּלִי (kli), גמא (gome); Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct plural + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and in vessels of papyrus”; Notes: Light boats made of reeds.
- עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם (ʿal-penei-mayim) – Root: פנה (paneh), מים (mayim); Form: Preposition + construct plural + noun masculine plural; Translation: “on the surface of the waters”; Notes: Describes travel on water.
- לְכוּ (lechu) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “go”; Notes: Command to the messengers.
- מַלְאָכִים (malʾakhim) – Root: מלאך (malʾakh); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “messengers”; Notes: Can be human or angelic, here likely diplomatic.
- קַלִּים (qallim) – Root: קלל (qalal); Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “swift”; Notes: Emphasizes urgency.
- אֶל־גֹּוי (el-goy) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to a nation”; Notes: Begins a description of the target people.
- מְמֻשָּׁךְ (memushakh) – Root: משך (mashakh); Form: Pual participle masculine singular; Translation: “drawn out,” “tall”; Notes: Describes physical stature.
- וּמֹורָט (u-morat) – Root: מרט (marat); Form: Conjunction + Pual participle masculine singular; Translation: “smooth-skinned”; Notes: Possibly shaved or hairless.
- אֶל־עַם (el-ʿam) – Root: עם (ʿam); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to a people”; Notes: Parallel to “nation.”
- נֹורָא (nora) – Root: ירא (yaraʾ); Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “feared”; Notes: Terrifying in reputation.
- מִן־הוּא וָהָלְאָה (min-hu va-haleʾah) – Root: הלך (halakh); Form: Preposition + pronoun + adverb; Translation: “from then and onward”; Notes: Refers to continuous reputation.
- גֹּוי קַו־קָו (goy qav-qav) – Root: קו (qav); Form: Noun phrase; Translation: “a nation measuring by line”; Notes: Possibly refers to precise measuring or judgment.
- וּמְבוּסָה (u-mevusah) – Root: בוס (bus); Form: Conjunction + Pual participle feminine singular; Translation: “and trampled down”; Notes: May reflect historical defeat or oppression.
- אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְאוּ (asher-bazʾu) – Root: בזה (bazah); Form: Relative pronoun + Qal perfect 3rd person plural; Translation: “whom they despised”; Notes: Refers to rivers in the next phrase.
- נְהָרִים (neharim) – Root: נהר (nahar); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “rivers”; Notes: Subject of the verb “despised.”
- אַרְצֹו (artso) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Noun feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his land”; Notes: The land of the nation previously described.