מָֽה־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר וְאָֽמַר־לִ֖י וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑ה אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה כָל־שְׁנֹותַ֖י עַל־מַ֥ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃
What shall I speak? For He has spoken to me, and He has done it. I shall walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.
Morphology
- מָֽה־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר (mah-adabber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Interrogative + Piel imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “What shall I speak?”; Notes: A rhetorical question expressing speechlessness in light of divine action.
- וְאָֽמַר־לִ֖י (ve-amar-li) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “for He has spoken to me”; Notes: Indicates personal divine revelation.
- וְה֣וּא (ve-hu) – Root: Independent pronoun; Form: 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “and He”; Notes: Emphatic subject of the verb “did.”
- עָשָׂ֑ה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “has done”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s fulfillment of His word.
- אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה (edaddeh) – Root: דדה (dadah); Form: Piel imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I shall walk slowly” / “I shall limp along”; Notes: Poetic expression of sorrowful or halting movement through life.
- כָל־שְׁנֹותַ֖י (kol-shenotai) – Root: שנה (shanah); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “all my years”; Notes: Indicates the duration of affected life.
- עַל־מַ֥ר (ʿal-mar) – Root: מרר (mar); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “because of bitterness”; Notes: Refers to emotional anguish or spiritual sorrow.
- נַפְשִֽׁי (nafshi) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my soul”; Notes: Inner being or emotional self—source of bitterness.