Jeremiah 15:18

לָ֣מָּה הָיָ֤ה כְאֵבִי֙ נֶ֔צַח וּמַכָּתִ֖י אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙ מֵֽאֲנָה֙ הֵֽרָפֵ֔א הָיֹ֨ו תִֽהְיֶ֥ה לִי֙ כְּמֹ֣ו אַכְזָ֔ב מַ֖יִם לֹ֥א נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ ס

Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Would You indeed be to me like a deceitful stream, waters that are not reliable?

 

Morphology

  1. לָמָּה (lammah) – Root: מה (mah); Form: Interrogative particle with preposition; Translation: “Why”; Notes: Introduces a question of complaint or lament.
  2. הָיָה (hayah) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “is” or “has become”; Notes: Refers to the condition of the pain.
  3. כְאֵבִי (keʾevi) – Root: כאֵב (kaʾev); Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix in construct; Translation: “my pain”; Notes: Emotional and/or physical suffering.
  4. נֶצַח (netzaḥ) – Root: נֶצַח (netzaḥ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “perpetual”; Notes: Denotes endless duration.
  5. וּמַכָּתִי (u-makkatí) – Root: מכה (makah); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “and my wound”; Notes: Parallels “my pain” in poetic lament.
  6. אֲנוּשָׁה (ʾanushah) – Root: אנשׁ (ʾanash); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “incurable”; Notes: Describes something fatally wounded or beyond recovery.
  7. מֵאֲנָה (meʾanah) – Root: מאן (maʾan); Form: Qal perfect feminine singular; Translation: “has refused”; Notes: Subject is the wound—personified refusal to heal.
  8. הֵרָפֵא (herafe) – Root: רפא (rapha); Form: Nifal infinitive construct; Translation: “to be healed”; Notes: Passive, indicating inability to recover.
  9. הָיֹו (hayo) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Infinitive absolute used as emphatic verb; Translation: “Would You indeed be”; Notes: Expresses rhetorical or hypothetical question.
  10. תִהְיֶה (tihyeh) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You would be”; Notes: Complement to the infinitive for emphasis.
  11. לִי (li) – Root: ל (le); Form: Preposition + 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Expresses personal impact.
  12. כְמוֹ (kemo) – Root: —; Form: Comparative particle; Translation: “like”; Notes: Introduces a simile.
  13. אַכְזָב (akhzav) – Root: כזב (kazav); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “deceit” or “deception”; Notes: Often metaphor for disappointment or betrayal.
  14. מַיִם (mayim) – Root: —; Form: Noun masculine plural (dual form used singularly); Translation: “waters”; Notes: Common symbol for life or blessing.
  15. לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the reliability of the metaphorical waters.
  16. נֶאֱמָנוּ (neʾemanu) – Root: אמן (ʾaman); Form: Nifal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “have been reliable” or “proved faithful”; Notes: The waters are unreliable, unlike YHWH’s expected character.

 

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