Jeremiah 17:16

וַאֲנִ֞י לֹא־אַ֣צְתִּי מֵרֹעֶ֣ה אַחֲרֶ֗יךָ וְיֹ֥ום אָנ֛וּשׁ לֹ֥א הִתְאַוֵּ֖יתִי אַתָּ֣ה יָדָ֑עְתָּ מֹוצָ֣א שְׂפָתַ֔י נֹ֥כַח פָּנֶ֖יךָ הָיָֽה׃

But as for me, I did not hasten away from being a shepherd after You, and the grievous day I did not desire. You know—it was the utterance of my lips; before Your face it was.

Morphology

1. וַאֲנִ֞י (va-ʾani) – Root: אנכי/אני; Form: Conjunction וְ + independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “But I” or “And I”; Notes: Marks contrast between the speaker and others.
2. לֹא־אַ֣צְתִּי (lo-ʾatsti) – Root: אוץ; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular + negative; Translation: “I did not hasten”; Notes: Implies that the prophet did not run away or recoil from his calling.
3. מֵרֹעֶ֣ה (me-roʿeh) – Root: רעה; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “from being a shepherd”; Notes: Refers to the prophetic office as one who tends or leads.
4. אַחֲרֶ֗יךָ (aḥareikha) – Root: אחר; Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “after You”; Notes: Following YHWH in mission or calling.
5. וְיֹ֥ום (ve-yom) – Root: יום; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and the day”; Notes: Refers to a specific, distressing time—likely of judgment.
6. אָנ֛וּשׁ (ʾanush) – Root: אנש; Form: Adjective masculine singular; Translation: “grievous” or “deadly”; Notes: Often denotes incurable illness or catastrophe.
7. לֹ֥א הִתְאַוֵּ֖יתִי (lo hitʾaveiti) – Root: אוה; Form: Hitpael perfect 1st person singular + negative; Translation: “I did not desire”; Notes: Emphasizes the prophet’s unwillingness to see destruction.
8. אַתָּ֣ה (attah) – Root: אתה; Form: Independent pronoun 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You”; Notes: Addressing YHWH directly—emphatic subject.
9. יָדָ֑עְתָּ (yadaʿta) – Root: ידע; Form: Qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular; Translation: “You know”; Notes: Asserts YHWH’s intimate knowledge of the prophet’s heart.
10. מֹוצָ֣א (motza) – Root: יצא; Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “utterance” or “going forth”; Notes: Refers to what proceeds from the mouth—i.e., speech.
11. שְׂפָתַ֔י (sefatai) – Root: שׂפה; Form: Noun feminine dual with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “my lips”; Notes: Instrument of the prophet’s speech and divine message.
12. נֹ֥כַח (nokhaḥ) – Root: נכח; Form: Preposition/adverb; Translation: “before” or “in front of”; Notes: Locates the speech in the presence of YHWH.
13. פָּנֶ֖יךָ (panekha) – Root: פנים; Form: Noun masculine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “Your face”; Notes: Refers to the immediate presence of YHWH.
14. הָיָֽה (hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it was”; Notes: Concludes that everything spoken was done openly before YHWH.