Isaiah 38:17

הִנֵּ֥ה לְשָׁלֹ֖ום מַר־לִ֣י מָ֑ר וְאַתָּ֞ה חָשַׁ֤קְתָּ נַפְשִׁי֙ מִשַּׁ֣חַת בְּלִ֔י כִּ֥י הִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּ אַחֲרֵ֥י גֵוְךָ֖ כָּל־חֲטָאָֽי׃

Behold, for peace I had bitterness, great bitterness. But You have embraced my soul from the pit of destruction, for You have cast behind Your back all my sins.

 

Morphology

  1. הִנֵּ֥ה (hinneh) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Interjection; Translation: “Behold”; Notes: Draws attention to what follows with emphasis.
  2. לְשָׁלֹ֖ום (le-shalom) – Root: שׁלם (shalom); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for peace”; Notes: Refers to a hoped-for or expected state of well-being.
  3. מַר־לִ֣י (mar-li) – Root: מרר (mar); Form: Adjective + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “bitterness was to me”; Notes: Expresses personal suffering in place of peace.
  4. מָ֑ר (mar) – Root: מרר (mar); Form: Adjective repeated; Translation: “bitterness”; Notes: Intensifies the previous clause—“great bitterness.”
  5. וְאַתָּ֞ה (ve-attah) – Root: Independent pronoun; Form: 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “But You”; Notes: Marks a shift to divine intervention.
  6. חָשַׁ֤קְתָּ (ḥashaqta) – Root: חשק (ḥashaq); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You have embraced” / “You have set love on”; Notes: Can imply desire or attachment—here expressing divine favor.
  7. נַפְשִׁי֙ (nafshi) – Root: נפש (nefesh); Form: Noun feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my soul”; Notes: The object of divine attachment or preservation.
  8. מִשַּׁ֣חַת (mi-shaḥat) – Root: שׁחת (shaḥat); Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the pit”; Notes: Symbol of death or ruin.
  9. בְּלִ֔י (beli) – Root: בלה (balah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “destruction” / “decay”; Notes: Often paired with “pit” to intensify imagery of death.
  10. כִּ֥י (ki) – Root: Conjunction; Form: Causal particle; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for divine deliverance.
  11. הִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּ (hishlakhta) – Root: שׁלך (shalakh); Form: Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You have cast”; Notes: Causative form; implies intentional removal.
  12. אַחֲרֵ֥י (aḥarei) – Root: אחר (aḥar); Form: Preposition; Translation: “behind”; Notes: Denotes disregard or distance.
  13. גֵוְךָ֖ (gevekha) – Root: גוה (gav); Form: Noun masculine singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your back”; Notes: Emphasizes separation from sin.
  14. כָל־חֲטָאָֽי (kol-ḥataʾai) – Root: חטא (ḥataʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “all my sins”; Notes: Direct object of the verb “cast behind.”

 

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