עַל־חֹומֹתַ֣יִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם הִפְקַ֨דְתִּי֙ שֹֽׁמְרִ֔ים כָּל־הַיֹּ֧ום וְכָל־הַלַּ֛יְלָה תָּמִ֖יד לֹ֣א יֶחֱשׁ֑וּ הַמַּזְכִּרִים֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה אַל־דֳּמִ֖י לָכֶֽם׃
Upon your walls, O Yerushalayim, I have appointed watchmen; all the day and all the night, continually, they shall not be silent. You who remind YHWH, do not keep silent for yourselves.
Morphology
- עַל־חֹומֹתַ֣יִךְ (ʿal-ḥomotayikh) – Root: חומה (ḥomah); Form: Preposition עַל + noun feminine plural with 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “upon your walls”; Notes: Refers to the protective boundaries of Yerushalayim.
- יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם (Yerushalayim) – Root: ירושלם (Yerushalayim); Form: Proper noun feminine singular; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: The city of YHWH, central in prophetic vision.
- הִפְקַ֨דְתִּי (hifqadti) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I have appointed”; Notes: Causative sense, YHWH assigning a role or duty.
- שֹֽׁמְרִ֔ים (shomrim) – Root: שׁמר (shamar); Form: Participle masculine plural; Translation: “watchmen”; Notes: Guardians or sentinels to pray and proclaim unceasingly.
- כָל־הַיֹּ֧ום (khol-ha-yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “all the day”; Notes: Indicates continuous time coverage.
- וְכָל־הַלַּ֛יְלָה (ve-khol-ha-laylah) – Root: לילה (laylah); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “and all the night”; Notes: Complements day, together meaning 24/7 vigilance.
- תָּמִ֖יד (tamid) – Root: תמיד (tamid); Form: Adverb; Translation: “continually”; Notes: Stresses the unbroken nature of their watch.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb “they shall be silent.”
- יֶחֱשׁ֑וּ (yeḥeshu) – Root: חשׁה (ḥashah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they shall be silent”; Notes: Indicates expected unceasing proclamation.
- הַמַּזְכִּרִים (ha-mazkirim) – Root: זכר (zakhar); Form: Hifil participle masculine plural with article; Translation: “you who remind”; Notes: Possibly a technical term for those invoking or proclaiming YHWH’s promises.
- אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה (et-YHWH) – Root: יהוה (YHWH); Form: Direct object marker + proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The object of their remembrance and intercession.
- אַל־דֳּמִ֖י (ʾal-domi) – Root: דם (damam); Form: Negative particle אַל + Qal jussive 2nd person plural; Translation: “do not be silent”; Notes: An imperative plea not to grow quiet.
- לָכֶֽם (lakhem) – Root: לכם (lakhem); Form: Preposition לְ + second person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “for yourselves”; Notes: Reinforces the call to ceaseless intercession by the watchers.