אַל־תִּירְאוּ מִפְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם יְרֵאִים מִפָּנָיו אַל־תִּירְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי־אִתְּכֶם אָנִי לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם וּלְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדוֹ׃
Do not fear before the king of Bavel, whom you fear before him. Do not fear from him,’ declares YHWH, ‘for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.
Morphology
- אַל (ʾal) – Root: Particle; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Do not”; Notes: Used with jussive/imperfect for prohibition.
- תִּירְאוּ (tireʾu) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you fear”; Notes: Here used in prohibitive sense, “do not fear.”
- מִפְּנֵי (mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panim); Form: Preposition מן + plural construct noun “faces”; Translation: “before”; Notes: Idiomatic: “in the presence of.”
- מֶלֶךְ (melekh) – Root: מלך (melekh); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “king”; Notes: Refers to the Babylonian monarch.
- בָּבֶל (Bavel) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Proper name; Translation: “Bavel”; Notes: Refers to Babylon.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: Particle; Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces a relative clause.
- אַתֶּם (ʾatem) – Root: Independent pronoun; Form: 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphasizes subject.
- יְרֵאִים (yereʾim) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “fearing”; Notes: Describes their present state.
- מִפָּנָיו (mi-panav) – Root: פנה (panim); Form: Preposition מן + plural noun “faces” + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “before him”; Notes: Refers to their dread of the king’s presence.
- אַל (ʾal) – Root: Particle; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “Do not”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
- תִּירְאוּ (tireʾu) – Root: ירא (yareʾ); Form: Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural; Translation: “you fear”; Notes: Repetition intensifies the exhortation.
- מִמֶּנּוּ (mimmennu) – Root: מן (min); Form: Preposition + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from him”; Notes: Object of their fear.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾum); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “utterance/declaration”; Notes: Prophetic formula.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: Proper noun; Form: Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Speaker identified as YHWH himself.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces reason for reassurance.
- אִתְּכֶם (ʾitkhem) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Preposition + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Emphasizes divine presence.
- אָ֔נִי (ʾani) – Root: Independent pronoun; Form: 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Personal pronoun stressing YHWH’s involvement.
- לְהוֹשִׁיעַ (le-hoshiʿa) – Root: ישע (yashaʿ); Form: Hifil infinitive construct; Translation: “to save”; Notes: Purpose clause indicating divine deliverance.
- אֶתְכֶם (ʾetkhem) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Direct object of saving action.
- וּלְהַצִּיל (u-le-hatsil) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Hifil infinitive construct with conjunction; Translation: “and to deliver”; Notes: Reinforces divine rescue.
- אֶתְכֶם (ʾetkhem) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “you”; Notes: Repetition highlights the people as the focus.
- מִיָּדוֹ (mi-yado) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition מן + noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “from his hand”; Notes: Metaphor for power or control of the Babylonian king.