לַשָּׁוְא֙ הִכֵּ֣יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם מוּסָ֖ר לֹ֣א לָקָ֑חוּ אָכְלָ֧ה חַרְבְּכֶ֛ם נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֖ם כְּאַרְיֵ֥ה מַשְׁחִֽית׃
“In vain I struck your sons; discipline they did not take. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.
Morphology
- לַשָּׁוְא֙ (la-shav) – Root: שוא (shav); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in vain”; Notes: Expresses futility or uselessness of the action.
- הִכֵּ֣יתִי (hikkeiti) – Root: נכה (nakah); Form: Hifil perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I struck”; Notes: Causative action of punishment or correction by YHWH.
- אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם (et-benêkhem) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Direct object marker אֵת + construct noun masculine plural + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your sons”; Notes: Object of divine chastisement.
- מוּסָ֖ר (musar) – Root: יסר (yasar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “discipline”; Notes: Refers to moral correction or instruction.
- לֹ֣א (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the verb that follows.
- לָקָ֑חוּ (laqachu) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they took”; Notes: Refers to the refusal to receive or accept correction.
- אָכְלָ֧ה (akhlah) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “has devoured”; Notes: Feminine subject, referring to the sword metaphorically.
- חַרְבְּכֶ֛ם (ḥarbəkhem) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your sword”; Notes: Instrument of violence turned against prophets.
- נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֖ם (neviʾeikhem) – Root: נבא (naviʾ); Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “your prophets”; Notes: Victims of internal violence from the people.
- כְּאַרְיֵ֥ה (ke-aryeh) – Root: אריה (aryeh); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like a lion”; Notes: Simile conveying violent and predatory behavior.
- מַשְׁחִֽית (mashḥit) – Root: שחת (shakhat); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “destroying”; Notes: Functions adjectivally with “lion,” stressing destructive force.