וַתִּבְטְחִ֣י בְרָעָתֵ֗ךְ אָמַרְתְּ֙ אֵ֣ין רֹאָ֔נִי חָכְמָתֵ֥ךְ וְדַעְתֵּ֖ךְ הִ֣יא שֹׁובְבָ֑תֶךְ וַתֹּאמְרִ֣י בְלִבֵּ֔ךְ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֥י עֹֽוד׃
And you trusted in your evil; you said, ‘None sees me.’ Your wisdom and your knowledge, it has turned you aside. And you said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
Morphology
- וַתִּבְטְחִי (va-tivtḥi) – Root: בטח (bataḥ); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “And you trusted”; Notes: Addresses the feminine subject, likely Babylon; expresses misplaced confidence.
- בְרָעָתֵךְ (ve-raʿatekh) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in your evil”; Notes: The trust is placed in wickedness or wrongdoing.
- אָמַרְתְּ (amart) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you said”; Notes: Continuation of Babylon’s internal thought or speech.
- אֵין (ʾein) – Root: אין (ʾein); Form: Negative existential particle; Translation: “None”; Notes: Denies existence — “there is no one.”
- רֹאָנִי (roʾani) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal participle masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “sees me”; Notes: The subject (none) is implied — no one sees.
- חָכְמָתֵךְ (ḥokhmatek) – Root: חכם (ḥakham); Form: Noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your wisdom”; Notes: Describes Babylon’s self-perceived cleverness.
- וְדַעְתֵּךְ (ve-daʿtekh) – Root: ידע (yadaʿ); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun feminine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “and your knowledge”; Notes: Continues the parallel of intellectual arrogance.
- הִיא (hiʾ) – Root: הוא (huʾ/hiʾ); Form: Pronoun feminine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to wisdom and knowledge, feminine in Hebrew.
- שֹׁובְבָתֶךְ (shovvatekh) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Noun feminine singular with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “has turned you aside”; Notes: A rare noun form; indicates seductive, misleading influence.
- וַתֹּאמְרִי (va-toʾmri) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “And you said”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes arrogance or self-deception.
- בְלִבֵּךְ (ve-libbekh) – Root: לבב (levav); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in your heart”; Notes: Inner speech, thought.
- אֲנִי (ʾani) – Root: אנכ (ʾanokhi); Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Assertion of self-existence or identity.
- וְאַפְסִי (ve-ʾafsi) – Root: אפס (ʾefes); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and there is none besides me”; Notes: Total claim of exclusivity and supremacy.
- עֹוד (ʿod) – Root: עוד (ʿod); Form: Adverb; Translation: “besides”; Notes: Often translated “further” or “again,” here it supports the meaning “none else.”