וְעַתָּ֗ה מַה־לָּךְ֙ לְדֶ֣רֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִשְׁתֹּ֖ות מֵ֣י שִׁחֹ֑ור וּמַה־לָּךְ֙ לְדֶ֣רֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר לִשְׁתֹּ֖ות מֵ֥י נָהָֽר׃
And now, what is it to you on the way to Mitsrayim, to drink the waters of Shīḥor? And what is it to you on the way to Ashshur, to drink the waters of the River?
Morphology
- וְעַתָּה (ve-ʿattah) – Root: עת; Form: Conjunction + adverb; Translation: “And now”; Notes: Introduces a new or logical conclusion based on prior statements.
- מַה־לָּךְ (mah-lakh) – Root: מה; Form: Interrogative pronoun + preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “What is it to you?”; Notes: Expresses rhetorical or critical questioning.
- לְדֶרֶךְ (le-derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “to the way”; Notes: Refers to behavior, journey, or political alliance.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצר; Form: Proper noun, dual form; Translation: “Mitsrayim (Egypt)”; Notes: Refers to the nation of Egypt.
- לִשְׁתֹּות (lishtot) – Root: שתה; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “to drink”; Notes: Infinitive of purpose.
- מֵי (mei) – Root: מים; Form: Construct form of masculine plural noun; Translation: “waters of”; Notes: Bound form indicating possession.
- שִׁחֹור (Shīḥor) – Root: שחר; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Shīḥor”; Notes: Refers to a river on the border of Egypt, often identified with a branch of the Nile.
- וּמַה־לָּךְ (u-mah-lakh) – Root: מה; Form: Conjunction + interrogative pronoun + preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “And what is it to you?”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis and parallel structure.
- לְדֶרֶךְ (le-derekh) – Root: דרך; Form: Preposition + noun, feminine singular; Translation: “to the way”; Notes: As above, a figurative or literal path.
- אַשּׁוּר (Ashshur) – Root: אשׁר; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Ashshur (Assyria)”; Notes: A major imperial power east of Yisraʾel.
- לִשְׁתֹּות (lishtot) – Root: שתה; Form: Infinitive construct; Translation: “to drink”; Notes: Repeated for parallel poetic effect.
- מֵי (mei) – Root: מים; Form: Construct plural; Translation: “waters of”; Notes: Same as above.
- נָהָר (nahar) – Root: נהר; Form: Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “the River”; Notes: Refers to the Euphrates River, the main river of Assyria.