כִּ֣י לֹ֤א לְעֹולָם֙ אָרִ֔יב וְלֹ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח אֶקְּצֹ֑וף כִּי־ר֨וּחַ֙ מִלְּפָנַ֣י יַֽעֲטֹ֔וף וּנְשָׁמֹ֖ות אֲנִ֥י עָשִֽׂיתִי׃
For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for spirit would grow faint before Me, and the souls that I have made.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a reason or divine explanation.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb that follows.
- לְעֹולָם (le-ʿolam) – Root: עולם (ʿolam); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Indicates unending time.
- אָרִיב (ariv) – Root: ריב (riv); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will contend”; Notes: Refers to divine dispute or accusation against sin.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Continues the negation with coordinated clause.
- לָנֶצַח (la-netzaḥ) – Root: נצח (netzaḥ); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever” or “eternally”; Notes: Synonymous with לְעֹולָם, adds poetic emphasis.
- אֶקְּצֹף (eqtsof) – Root: קצף (qatsof); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I will be angry”; Notes: Denotes divine wrath or indignation.
- כִּי־רוּחַ (ki-ruaḥ) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “for spirit”; Notes: Refers to the human spirit or breath of life.
- מִלְּפָנַי (mil-lefanai) – Root: לפנים (lifnei); Form: Preposition מן + noun with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “from before Me”; Notes: Describes the effect of divine wrath on those in YHWH’s presence.
- יַעֲטֹוף (yaʿatof) – Root: עטף (ʿataf); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “would grow faint” or “be overwhelmed”; Notes: Implies exhaustion or collapse of spirit under divine judgment.
- וּנְשָׁמֹות (u-neshamot) – Root: נשם (nasham); Form: Conjunction + plural feminine noun; Translation: “and souls”; Notes: Denotes the inner life or breath of living beings.
- אֲנִי (ani) – Root: אני (ani); Form: Independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Subject of the verb, referring to YHWH.
- עָשִׂיתִי (ʿasiti) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “have made”; Notes: Affirms divine authorship of life itself.