וַיִּמָּנְע֣וּ רְבִבִ֔ים וּמַלְקֹ֖ושׁ לֹ֣וא הָיָ֑ה וּמֵ֨צַח אִשָּׁ֤ה זֹונָה֙ הָ֣יָה לָ֔ךְ מֵאַ֖נְתְּ הִכָּלֵֽם׃
And the showers were withheld, and the latter rain was not; yet the forehead of a prostitute woman you had; you refused to be ashamed.
Morphology
- וַיִּמָּנְע֣וּ (va-yimmāneʿu) – Root: מנע (manaʿ); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “And they were withheld”; Notes: Refers to divine withholding of rain; passive construction highlights God’s judgment.
- רְבִבִ֔ים (revivim) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “showers”; Notes: Refers to early or abundant rains; agricultural imagery used metaphorically.
- וּמַלְקֹ֖ושׁ (u-malkosh) – Root: לקש (laqash); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the latter rain”; Notes: Spring rain vital for harvest; paired with early rains in judgment imagery.
- לֹ֣וא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb הָיָה.
- הָיָ֑ה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Describes the non-occurrence of the latter rain.
- וּמֵ֨צַח (u-metsaḥ) – Root: מצח (metsaḥ); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “yet the forehead”; Notes: Begins a contrast; metaphor for shamelessness.
- אִשָּׁ֤ה (ishah) – Root: אשה (ishah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “of a woman”; Notes: Construct relationship with זֹונָה.
- זֹונָה (zonah) – Root: זנה (zanah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a prostitute”; Notes: Indicates moral or spiritual unfaithfulness.
- הָ֣יָה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Refers back to “forehead” — your expression was shameless.
- לָךְ (lakh) – Root: לך (lakh); Form: Preposition + 2nd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates possession or attribution to the female addressee.
- מֵאַ֖נְתְּ (meʾant) – Root: מאנ (maʾan); Form: Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular; Translation: “you refused”; Notes: Emphasizes stubbornness and rejection of shame or repentance.
- הִכָּלֵֽם (hikkalēm) – Root: כלם (kalam); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to be ashamed”; Notes: Passive form; you refused the condition of shame or disgrace.