וְרוּחֹ֞ו כְּנַ֤חַל שֹׁוטֵף֙ עַד־צַוָּ֣אר יֶֽחֱצֶ֔ה לַהֲנָפָ֥ה גֹויִ֖ם בְּנָ֣פַת שָׁ֑וְא וְרֶ֣סֶן מַתְעֶ֔ה עַ֖ל לְחָיֵ֥י עַמִּֽים׃
And His breath is like an overflowing stream, reaching to the neck, to sift nations with a sieve of vanity, and a misleading bridle upon the jaws of peoples.
Morphology
- וְרוּחֹ֞ו (ve-ruḥo) – Root: רוח; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and His breath”; Notes: Can also mean “wind” or “spirit” depending on context; here, divine breath as an agent of judgment.
- כְּנַ֤חַל (ke-naḥal) – Root: נחל; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a stream”; Notes: Simile of unstoppable flow.
- שֹׁוטֵף֙ (shoteif) – Root: שטף; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “overflowing”; Notes: Describes a rushing or flooding force.
- עַד־צַוָּ֣אר (ʿad-tsavvar) – Root: צואר; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “up to the neck”; Notes: Indicates severity or extent.
- יֶֽחֱצֶ֔ה (yeḥetseh) – Root: חצה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it shall divide” or “reach”; Notes: Can imply cutting through or stretching across.
- לַהֲנָפָ֥ה (la-hanafah) – Root: נוף; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for winnowing” or “to fan”; Notes: Winnowing as an image of judgment and separation.
- גֹויִ֖ם (goyim) – Root: גוי; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers broadly to peoples or gentile nations.
- בְּנָ֣פַת (be-nafat) – Root: נפה; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular construct; Translation: “with a sieve of”; Notes: Instrument of sifting, symbolic of testing or judgment.
- שָׁ֑וְא (shav) – Root: שוא; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “vanity” or “emptiness”; Notes: Suggests futility or worthlessness.
- וְרֶ֣סֶן (ve-resen) – Root: רסן; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and a bridle”; Notes: Symbol of control or restraint.
- מַתְעֶ֔ה (matʿeh) – Root: תעה; Form: Participle/noun masculine singular; Translation: “misleading” or “causing to err”; Notes: Can refer to deception or leading astray.
- עַ֖ל (ʿal) – Root: על; Form: Preposition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates location or placement.
- לְחָיֵ֥י (le-ḥayei) – Root: לחי; Form: Preposition + noun dual construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “the jaws of”; Notes: Plural form for cheeks/jaws, idiomatic for speech/control.
- עַמִּֽים (ʿamim) – Root: עם; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “peoples”; Notes: General term for ethnic or national groups.