וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ וְלֹֽא־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר עֹוד֙ בִּשְׁמֹ֔ו וְהָיָ֤ה בְלִבִּי֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ בֹּעֶ֔רֶת עָצֻ֖ר בְּעַצְמֹתָ֑י וְנִלְאֵ֥יתִי כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל וְלֹ֥א אוּכָֽל׃
And I said, “I will not remember Him, and I will not speak anymore in His name.” But it was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I grew weary with holding it in, and I could not.
Morphology
- וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י (veʾamarti) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 1st person singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And I said”; Notes: Introduces the prophet’s internal resolution.
- לֹֽא־אֶזְכְּרֶ֗נּוּ (lo-ʾezkeren(n)u) – Root: זכר; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “I will not remember Him”; Notes: Expresses intent to stop recalling or acknowledging.
- וְלֹֽא־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר (ve-lo-ʾadabber) – Root: דבר; Form: Piel imperfect 1st person singular with negative particle; Translation: “and I will not speak”; Notes: Strong intentional negation.
- עֹוד֙ (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “anymore”; Notes: Reinforces total cessation.
- בִּשְׁמֹ֔ו (bishmo) – Root: שם; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “in His name”; Notes: Refers to prophetic proclamation in YHWH’s authority.
- וְהָיָ֤ה (vehayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular with vav-consecutive; Translation: “but it was”; Notes: Introduces contrasting consequence.
- בְלִבִּי֙ (velibbi) – Root: לבב; Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “in my heart”; Notes: Denotes internal emotion or compulsion.
- כְּאֵ֣שׁ (keʾesh) – Root: אשׁ; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like fire”; Notes: Simile for consuming emotion.
- בֹּעֶ֔רֶת (boʿeret) – Root: בער; Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “burning”; Notes: Modifies “fire.”
- עָצֻ֖ר (ʿatzur) – Root: עצר; Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “shut up”; Notes: Constrained or trapped.
- בְּעַצְמֹתָ֑י (beʿatsmotai) – Root: עצם; Form: Preposition + noun feminine plural with 1st person singular suffix; Translation: “in my bones”; Notes: Physical metaphor for inward compulsion.
- וְנִלְאֵ֥יתִי (venilʾeiti) – Root: לאה; Form: Nifal perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “and I grew weary”; Notes: Passive/reflexive form of exhaustion.
- כַּֽלְכֵ֖ל (kalkel) – Root: כלל; Form: Piel infinitive construct; Translation: “with holding [it] in”; Notes: Carries nuance of bearing or sustaining internally.
- וְלֹ֥א אוּכָֽל (ve-lo ʾukhal) – Root: יכל; Form: Qal imperfect 1st person singular with negation; Translation: “and I could not”; Notes: Expresses inability to suppress the prophetic impulse.