Isaiah 57:4

עַל־מִי֙ תִּתְעַנָּ֔גוּ עַל־מִ֛י תַּרְחִ֥יבוּ פֶ֖ה תַּאֲרִ֣יכוּ לָשֹׁ֑ון הֲלֹֽוא־אַתֶּ֥ם יִלְדֵי־פֶ֖שַׁע זֶ֥רַע שָֽׁקֶר׃

Over whom do you delight yourselves? Over whom do you make wide your mouth, prolong your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of falsehood?

Morphology

1. עַל־מִי (ʿal-mi) – Root: מי (mi); Form: Preposition עַל + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “over whom”; Notes: A rhetorical question initiating the prophet’s rebuke.
2. תִּתְעַנָּגוּ (titʿannagu) – Root: ענג (ʿanag); Form: Hitpael imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “do you delight yourselves”; Notes: Reflexive or intensive form—conveys self-indulgent delight or mockery.
3. עַל־מִי (ʿal-mi) – Root: מי (mi); Form: Repetition of preposition + interrogative; Translation: “over whom”; Notes: Reemphasizes accusatory tone.
4. תַּרְחִיבוּ (tarḥivu) – Root: רחב (raḥav); Form: Hiphil imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “do you make wide”; Notes: Causative stem—opening the mouth wide in mockery or scorn.
5. פֶּה (peh) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “mouth”; Notes: Object of the verb—instrument of speech or ridicule.
6. תַּאֲרִיכוּ (taʾarikḥu) – Root: ארך (ʾarakh); Form: Hiphil imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “do you prolong”; Notes: Causative form—lengthening the tongue as a gesture of defiance or insult.
7. לָשֹׁון (lashon) – Root: לשון (lashon); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “tongue”; Notes: Metaphor for speech, ridicule, or blasphemy.
8. הֲלֹוא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle with negation; Translation: “are you not”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical rebuke expecting affirmation.
9. אַתֶּם (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Reinforces the address to the people being reproved.
10. יִלְדֵי־פֶשַׁע (yildei-feshaʿ) – Root: ילד (yalad) / פשׁע (peshaʿ); Form: Construct plural masculine + noun masculine singular; Translation: “children of transgression”; Notes: Denotes moral corruption by descent—offspring of rebellion.
11. זֶרַע (zeraʿ) – Root: זרע (zeraʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Refers to descendants or seed, in a figurative sense.
12. שָׁקֶר (sheqer) – Root: שׁקר (shaqar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “falsehood”; Notes: Indicates deceit, lies, or untruth—linked to moral degeneracy.