נָחַ֣ר מַפֻּ֔חַ מֵאֵשָׁתָם עֹפָ֑רֶת לַשָּׁוְא֙ צָרַ֣ף צָרֹ֔וף וְרָעִ֖ים לֹ֥א נִתָּֽקוּ׃
The bellows snorted; from their fire, lead; vainly the refiner refined, but the wicked were not removed.
Morphology
- נָחַ֣ר (nāḥar) – Root: נחר; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “snorted”; Notes: Refers to the forceful blowing of the bellows.
- מַפֻּ֔חַ (mapuaḥ) – Root: נפח; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “bellows”; Notes: Instrument used to intensify fire for refining.
- מֵאֵשָׁתָם (meʾeshatam) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “from their fire”; Notes: Denotes the source or origin of the flame.
- עֹפָ֑רֶת (ʿoferet) – Root: עפר; Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “lead”; Notes: Symbolic of impurity or worthless metal in refining imagery.
- לַשָּׁוְא (la-shav) – Root: שוא; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular; Translation: “in vain”; Notes: Points to futility of the process.
- צָרַ֣ף (tsaraf) – Root: צרף; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “refined”; Notes: Describes the refining attempt.
- צָרֹ֔וף (tsaruf) – Root: צרף; Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “refined one” or “refining”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes the action but underscores its failure.
- וְרָעִ֖ים (veraʿim) – Root: רעע; Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “but the wicked”; Notes: Subject of the final clause.
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: לא; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation of the expected result.
- נִתָּֽקוּ (nittāqu) – Root: נתק; Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “were removed / pulled away”; Notes: Passive form indicating that the wicked were not separated from the community.