וּמֵעֹולָ֥ם לֹא־שָׁמְע֖וּ לֹ֣א הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּ עַ֣יִן לֹֽא־רָאָ֗תָה אֱלֹהִים֙ זוּלָ֣תְךָ֔ יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִמְחַכֵּה־לֹֽו׃
And from of old they have not heard, they have not listened; eye has not seen a god besides You who acts for the one who waits for Him.
Morphology
- וּמֵעֹולָ֥ם (u-meʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿalam); Form: Conjunction + preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “And from of old”; Notes: Refers to time immemorial or eternity past.
- לֹא־שָׁמְע֖וּ (lo-shamʿu) – Root: שׁמע (shamaʿ); Form: Negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have not heard”; Notes: Denies any past hearing of such a thing.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the next verb in parallel structure.
- הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּ (heʾezinu) – Root: אזן (ʾazan); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they have given ear” or “they have listened”; Notes: Emphasizes active attentiveness, paralleled with “heard.”
- עַ֣יִן (ʿayin) – Root: עין (ʿayin); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “eye”; Notes: Personified subject of the next verb.
- לֹֽא־רָאָ֗תָה (lo-raʾatah) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Negative particle + Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has not seen”; Notes: Emphasizes uniqueness—no eye has ever seen such a god.
- אֱלֹהִים֙ (ʾelohim) – Root: אל (ʾel); Form: Noun masculine plural (in form, singular in meaning here); Translation: “a god” or “God”; Notes: The subject of “acts”; used generically here with qualifying phrase.
- זוּלָ֣תְךָ֔ (zulatkha) – Root: זלל (zalal); Form: Preposition זוּלַת + second person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “besides You”; Notes: Stresses exclusivity of YHWH’s actions on behalf of His people.
- יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה (yaʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “acts” or “does”; Notes: Refers to divine intervention or deeds.
- לִמְחַכֵּה־לֹֽו (li-meḥakkeh-lo) – Root: חכה (ḥakah); Form: Preposition לְ + piel participle masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “for the one who waits for Him”; Notes: Describes those who patiently hope in YHWH as the recipients of His unique actions.