אֶת־עַ֥ם נֹועָ֖ז לֹ֣א תִרְאֶ֑ה עַ֣ם עִמְקֵ֤י שָׂפָה֙ מִשְּׁמֹ֔ועַ נִלְעַ֥ג לָשֹׁ֖ון אֵ֥ין בִּינָֽה׃
You shall not see a fierce people, a people of obscure speech beyond perception, of a stammering tongue with no understanding.
Morphology
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: (untranslated); Notes: Introduces the direct object “a people.”
- עַ֥ם (ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a people”; Notes: Subject of the clause, described in three ways.
- נֹועָ֖ז (noʿaz) – Root: עזז; Form: Niphal participle masculine singular; Translation: “fierce” or “strong”; Notes: Can also mean “impudent” or “bold,” indicating threat or harshness.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
- תִרְאֶ֑ה (tirʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “you shall see”; Notes: Predicts future freedom from threat.
- עַ֣ם (ʿam) – Root: עם; Form: Noun masculine singular (repetition); Translation: “a people”; Notes: Restates subject to expand description.
- עִמְקֵ֤י (ʿimqei) – Root: עמק; Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “of deep”; Notes: Refers to difficulty or obscurity, especially in communication.
- שָׂפָה֙ (safah) – Root: שׂפה; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “speech” or “language”; Notes: Construct phrase with “deep speech.”
- מִשְּׁמֹ֔ועַ (mi-shmoaʿ) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Preposition מִן + infinitive construct; Translation: “from hearing”; Notes: Indicates inability to understand or perceive.
- נִלְעַ֥ג (nilʿag) – Root: לעג; Form: Niphal participle masculine singular; Translation: “stammering” or “mocking”; Notes: Describes unclear or jumbled speech.
- לָשֹׁ֖ון (lashon) – Root: לשׁן; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “tongue” or “language”; Notes: Paired with “stammering” to express unintelligibility.
- אֵ֥ין (ʾein) – Root: negative existential; Form: Particle; Translation: “there is no”; Notes: Denotes absence.
- בִּינָֽה (binah) – Root: בין; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “understanding”; Notes: Concludes the verse with a statement about incomprehensibility.