מַה־תֵּיטִ֥בִי דַּרְכֵּ֖ךְ לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אַהֲבָ֑ה לָכֵן֙ גַּ֣ם אֶת־הָרָעֹ֔ות לִמַּדְתִּי אֶת־דְּרָכָֽיִךְ׃
Why do you make good your way to seek love? Therefore even the evils I have taught your ways.
Morphology
- מַה־ (mah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative pronoun; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question of futility or contradiction.
- תֵּיטִ֥בִי (teitivī) – Root: יטב (yatav); Form: Hifil imperfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “do you make good”; Notes: Causative: to improve or adorn behavior, with ironic tone here.
- דַּרְכֵּ֖ךְ (darkekh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Noun feminine singular in construct + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your way”; Notes: Refers to one’s conduct or manner of life.
- לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ (le-vaqqēsh) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “to seek”; Notes: Emphasizes intensity or effort in the pursuit.
- אַהֲבָ֑ה (ʾahavah) – Root: אהב (ʾahav); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “love”; Notes: Contextually refers to illicit or misguided affection.
- לָכֵן֙ (lakhen) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “Therefore”; Notes: Logical consequence from the previous behavior.
- גַּ֣ם (gam) – Root: גם (gam); Form: Adverb; Translation: “also” or “even”; Notes: Intensifies the following clause.
- אֶת־הָרָעֹ֔ות (et-ha-raʿot) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Direct object marker + definite noun feminine plural; Translation: “the evils”; Notes: Refers to harmful deeds or corrupt influences.
- לִמַּדְתִּי (limmadti) – Root: למד (lamad); Form: Piel perfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I have taught”; Notes: Possibly ironic—either YHWH allowed the learning or attributed consequence.
- אֶת־דְּרָכָֽיִךְ (et-derakhayikh) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Direct object marker + noun feminine dual + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “your ways”; Notes: Refers to patterned behaviors or chosen paths, often with moral overtones.