הָרִ֣ינוּ חַ֔לְנוּ כְּמֹ֖ו יָלַ֣דְנוּ ר֑וּחַ יְשׁוּעֹת֙ בַּל־נַ֣עֲשֶׂה אֶ֔רֶץ וּבַֽל־יִפְּל֖וּ יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵֽל׃
We were pregnant, we writhed, like we gave birth to wind; we brought forth no salvations in the land, and the inhabitants of the world did not fall.
Morphology
- הָרִ֣ינוּ (harinu) – Root: הרה; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we were pregnant”; Notes: Describes the beginning of a figurative birth process.
- חַ֔לְנוּ (ḥalnu) – Root: חיל; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we writhed”; Notes: Refers to labor pains or trembling in travail.
- כְּמֹ֖ו (kemo) – Root: כמו; Form: Preposition; Translation: “like”; Notes: Introduces a comparative clause.
- יָלַ֣דְנוּ (yaladnu) – Root: ילד; Form: Qal perfect 1st person common plural; Translation: “we gave birth”; Notes: Highlights the result of the labor—but to what?
- ר֑וּחַ (ruaḥ) – Root: רוח; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “wind”; Notes: Symbolizes futility or emptiness.
- יְשׁוּעֹת֙ (yeshuʿot) – Root: ישע; Form: Noun, feminine plural; Translation: “salvations”; Notes: Denotes deliverance or victory; plural form intensifies the idea.
- בַּל־נַ֣עֲשֶׂה (bal-naʿaseh) – Root: עשה; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common plural with negative particle; Translation: “we did not accomplish”; Notes: The expected result of the travail was not achieved.
- אֶ֔רֶץ (erets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “land”; Notes: Possibly referring to the land of Yisraʾel or earth generally.
- וּבַֽל־יִפְּל֖וּ (u-val-yippelu) – Root: נפל; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with conjunction and negative; Translation: “and did not fall”; Notes: Continues the negated result—no change came to pass.
- יֹשְׁבֵ֥י (yoshvei) – Root: ישׁב; Form: Qal participle masculine plural construct; Translation: “inhabitants of”; Notes: In construct with “world.”
- תֵבֵֽל (tevel) – Root: תבל; Form: Noun, feminine singular; Translation: “the world”; Notes: Poetic synonym for “earth,” often broader in scope.