וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה צִיצַ֤ת נֹבֵל֙ צְבִ֣י תִפְאַרְתֹּ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹ֖אשׁ גֵּ֣יא שְׁמָנִ֑ים כְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙ בְּטֶ֣רֶם קַ֔יִץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִרְאֶ֤ה הָֽרֹאֶה֙ אֹותָ֔הּ בְּעֹודָ֥הּ בְּכַפֹּ֖ו יִבְלָעֶֽנָּה׃ ס
And the fading blossom of the beauty of his splendor which is on the head of the valley of fatness shall be like the first-ripe fig before summer: whoever sees it, while it is still in his palm, he swallows it.
Morphology
- וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה (ve-hayetah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular with prefixed waw-consecutive; Translation: “And it shall be”; Notes: Feminine subject referring to the “blossom.”
- צִיצַ֤ת (tsitsat) – Root: צוץ (tsuts); Form: Noun, feminine singular construct; Translation: “blossom of”; Notes: Construct with following participle.
- נֹבֵל֙ (novel) – Root: נבל (naval); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “fading”; Notes: Describes the impermanence of beauty.
- צְבִ֣י (tsevi) – Root: צבי (tsevi); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “beauty of”; Notes: Construct with “splendor.”
- תִפְאַרְתֹּ֔ו (tifʾarto) – Root: פאר (paʾar); Form: Noun, feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “his splendor”; Notes: Refers to Ephrayim’s outward glory.
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause modifying “blossom.”
- עַל־רֹ֖אשׁ (ʿal-roʾsh) – Root: ראש (roʾsh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “on the head of”; Notes: Locative expression.
- גֵּ֣יא שְׁמָנִ֑ים (geʾ shemanim) – Root: גיא (geʾ) + שׁמן (shemen); Form: Construct phrase, masculine singular + masculine plural; Translation: “valley of fatness”; Notes: Denotes fertility and richness.
- כְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙ (ke-vikkurah) – Root: בכר (bakar); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “like her first-ripe fig”; Notes: Metaphor for something eagerly desired.
- בְּטֶ֣רֶם (be-terem) – Root: טרם (terem); Form: Preposition; Translation: “before”; Notes: Temporal marker.
- קַ֔יִץ (qayits) – Root: קיץ (qayits); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “summer”; Notes: The season of ripeness and harvest.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (asher) – Root: אשר (asher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate clause.
- יִרְאֶ֤ה (yirʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he sees”; Notes: Verb of perception for “the seer.”
- הָֽרֹאֶה֙ (ha-roʾeh) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Participle masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the seer” or “the one seeing”; Notes: Subject of the verb “sees.”
- אֹותָ֔הּ (otah) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her” (referring to the fig); Notes: Marks the direct object of the verb “sees.”
- בְּעֹודָ֥הּ (be-ʿodah) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “while she is still”; Notes: Emphasizes immediacy and ripeness.
- בְּכַפֹּ֖ו (be-kappo) – Root: כף (kaf); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in his palm”; Notes: Describes possession or grasp.
- יִבְלָעֶֽנָּה (yivlaʿennah) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “he swallows her”; Notes: The image is of devouring something highly desirable without delay.