צֹ֤אן אֹֽבְדֹות֙ הָיָה עַמִּ֔י רֹעֵיהֶ֣ם הִתְע֔וּם הָרִ֖ים שֹׁבְבִים מֵהַ֤ר אֶל־גִּבְעָה֙ הָלָ֔כוּ שָׁכְח֖וּ רִבְצָֽם׃
A lost flock has been My people; their shepherds have led them astray. Mountains upon hills they have gone; they have forgotten their resting place.
Morphology
- צֹאן (tsoʾn) – Root: צאן; Form: Noun, common collective feminine; Translation: “flock”; Notes: Used collectively for sheep/goats, symbol of YHWH’s people.
- אֹבְדֹות (ʾovedot) – Root: אבד; Form: Qal participle feminine plural; Translation: “lost”; Notes: Modifies “flock,” describing their condition.
- הָיָה (hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “has been”; Notes: Copular verb indicating state-of-being in the past.
- עַמִּי (ʿammi) – Root: עם; Form: Noun masculine singular + 1st person common singular suffix; Translation: “My people”; Notes: YHWH as speaker identifying Israel.
- רֹעֵיהֶם (roʿeihem) – Root: רעה; Form: Qal participle masculine plural construct + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their shepherds”; Notes: Refers to rulers or leaders of the people.
- הִתְעוּם (hitʿum) – Root: תעה; Form: Hifil perfect 3rd masculine plural + 3rd masculine plural object suffix; Translation: “have led them astray”; Notes: Leaders misguiding the people.
- הָרִים (harim) – Root: הר; Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “mountains”; Notes: Geographical reference, also symbolic of idolatrous sites.
- שֹׁבְבִים (shovvim) – Root: שׁוב; Form: Qal participle masculine plural; Translation: “wandering/wayward”; Notes: Describes the errant movement of the flock.
- מֵהַר (me-har) – Root: הר; Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from mountain”; Notes: Denotes starting point of movement.
- אֶל־גִּבְעָה (el-givʿah) – Root: גבע; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to hill”; Notes: Denotes direction of their wandering.
- הָלָכוּ (halakhu) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal perfect 3rd common plural; Translation: “they have gone”; Notes: Movement indicating continual wandering.
- שָׁכְחוּ (shakheḥu) – Root: שׁכח; Form: Qal perfect 3rd common plural; Translation: “they have forgotten”; Notes: Loss of memory or neglect of their true place.
- רִבְצָם (rivtsam) – Root: רבץ; Form: Noun masculine singular + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “their resting place”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to the place of divine security and rest.