לֹ֧א בַסֵּ֣תֶר דִּבַּ֗רְתִּי בִּמְקֹום֙ אֶ֣רֶץ חֹ֔שֶׁךְ לֹ֥א אָמַ֛רְתִּי לְזֶ֥רַע יַעֲקֹ֖ב תֹּ֣הוּ בַקְּשׁ֑וּנִי אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ דֹּבֵ֣ר צֶ֔דֶק מַגִּ֖יד מֵישָׁרִֽים׃
I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I did not say to the seed of Yaʿaqov, “Seek Me in vain.” I am YHWH, speaking righteousness, declaring upright things.
Morphology
- לֹ֧א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard negation.
- בַסֵּ֣תֶר (ba-séter) – Root: סתר; Form: Noun, masculine singular with definite article and preposition בְּ (“in”); Translation: “in secret”; Notes: Indicates concealment or hiddenness.
- דִּבַּ֗רְתִּי (dibbarti) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have spoken”; Notes: Emphasizes act of speech, intensified form.
- בִּמְקֹום֙ (bi-mqom) – Root: קום; Form: Noun, masculine singular with preposition בְּ; Translation: “in a place”; Notes: Refers to a general location.
- אֶ֣רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “land”; Notes: Can denote territory or region.
- חֹ֔שֶׁךְ (ḥoshekh) – Root: חשך; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “darkness”; Notes: Often used metaphorically for obscurity or evil.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Repeats the negation for emphasis.
- אָמַ֛רְתִּי (amarti) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I said”; Notes: Common verb for speaking.
- לְזֶ֥רַע (le-zeraʿ) – Root: זרע; Form: Preposition לְ + noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “to the seed (offspring)”; Notes: Refers to descendants.
- יַעֲקֹ֖ב (Yaʿaqov) – Root: יעקב; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yaʿaqov”; Notes: Patriarch of the nation of Yisraʾel.
- תֹּ֣הוּ (tohu) – Root: תהו; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “chaos” or “vanity”; Notes: Here connotes futility or purposelessness.
- בַקְּשׁ֑וּנִי (baqqeshuni) – Root: בקש; Form: Piel perfect 3rd person masculine plural + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “they sought Me”; Notes: Intensified form of ‘seek’ with pronominal suffix.
- אֲנִ֤י (ʾani) – Root: אנכ; Form: Independent pronoun, 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Used for emphasis before divine name.
- יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper noun, divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The Tetragrammaton, covenant name of God.
- דֹּבֵ֣ר (dover) – Root: דבר; Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “speaking”; Notes: Ongoing or characteristic action.
- צֶ֔דֶק (tsedeq) – Root: צדק; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “righteousness”; Notes: Moral or legal correctness.
- מַגִּ֖יד (maggid) – Root: נגד; Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “declaring”; Notes: Active declarer, announcer.
- מֵישָׁרִֽים (meysharim) – Root: ישר; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “upright things” or “straightness”; Notes: Ethical or moral clarity and correctness.