Isaiah 49:23

וְהָי֨וּ מְלָכִ֜ים אֹֽמְנַ֗יִךְ וְשָׂרֹֽותֵיהֶם֙ מֵינִ֣יקֹתַ֔יִךְ אַפַּ֗יִם אֶ֚רֶץ יִשְׁתַּ֣חֲווּ לָ֔ךְ וַעֲפַ֥ר רַגְלַ֖יִךְ יְלַחֵ֑כוּ וְיָדַ֨עַתְּ֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ קֹוָֽי׃ ס

And kings shall be your foster fathers, and their princesses your nursing mothers; they shall bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust of your feet. Then you shall know that I am YHWH; those who wait for Me shall not be ashamed.

Morphology

1. וְהָי֨וּ (ve-hayu) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person plural with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they shall be”; Notes: The wayyiqtol form expressing future certainty.
2. מְלָכִ֜ים (melakhim) – Root: מלך; Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “kings”; Notes: Subject of the verb “shall be”.
3. אֹֽמְנַ֗יִךְ (omnayikh) – Root: אמן; Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your foster fathers”; Notes: Construct relationship showing possession.
4. וְשָׂרֹֽותֵיהֶם֙ (vesaroteyhem) – Root: שרר; Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their princesses”; Notes: Coordinated with kings above.
5. מֵינִ֣יקֹתַ֔יִךְ (meyniqotayikh) – Root: ינק; Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your nursing mothers”; Notes: Also in construct state.
6. אַפַּ֗יִם (appayim) – Root: אף; Form: Dual noun, absolute; Translation: “faces” or “nostrils”; Notes: Often used idiomatically for prostration.
7. אֶ֚רֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun, feminine singular absolute; Translation: “earth” or “ground”; Notes: Serves as location of bowing down.
8. יִשְׁתַּ֣חֲווּ (yishtaḥavu) – Root: שׁחה; Form: Hishtaḥawah imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall bow down”; Notes: Reflexive form indicating posture of submission.
9. לָ֔ךְ (lakh) – Root: ל־; Form: Preposition with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates the object of the reverence.
10. וַעֲפַ֥ר (vaʿafar) – Root: עפר; Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “and the dust of”; Notes: Joined with following word as direct object.
11. רַגְלַ֖יִךְ (raglayikh) – Root: רגל; Form: Noun, dual construct with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your feet”; Notes: Possessive construction.
12. יְלַחֵ֑כוּ (yelakheku) – Root: לחך; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall lick”; Notes: Describes extreme submission or humility.
13. וְיָדַ֨עַתְּ֙ (veyadaʿt) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “and you shall know”; Notes: Signals outcome or realization.
14. כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י (ki-ani) – Root: כי, אני; Form: Conjunction + pronoun; Translation: “that I”; Notes: Asserts divine identity of YHWH.
15. יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: היה; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The covenantal name of God.
16. אֲשֶׁ֥ר (asher) – Root: אשר; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
17. לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ (lo-yevosḥu) – Root: בושׁ; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with negation; Translation: “shall not be ashamed”; Notes: Connected to those waiting for YHWH.
18. קֹוָֽי׃ (qovay) – Root: קוה; Form: Qal participle masculine plural construct with 1st person suffix; Translation: “those who wait for Me”; Notes: Indicates trust and hope in YHWH’s promises.