מַרְאֵ֨ה הָאֹופַנִּ֤ים וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם֙ כְּעֵ֣ין תַּרְשִׁ֔ישׁ וּדְמ֥וּת אֶחָ֖ד לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ן וּמַרְאֵיהֶם֙ וּמַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִהְיֶ֥ה הָאֹופַ֖ן בְּתֹ֥וךְ הָאֹופָֽן׃
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like the look of tarshish, and one likeness was to the four of them; and their appearance and their work was as though the wheel was within the wheel.
Morphology
- מַרְאֵה (marʾeh) – Root: ראה; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “appearance”; Notes: Introduces the visual description of the wheels.
- הָאֹופַנִּים (ha-ʾofannim) – Root: אופן; Form: Noun masculine plural with article; Translation: “the wheels”; Notes: Refers to the visionary wheels accompanying the living creatures.
- וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם (u-maʿaseihem) – Root: עשה; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their work”; Notes: Denotes craftsmanship or function of the wheels.
- כְּעֵין (ke-ʿein) – Root: עין; Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like the look of”; Notes: Comparative formula introducing simile.
- תַּרְשִׁישׁ (tarshish) – Root: uncertain; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “tarshish (beryl)”; Notes: Refers to a gemstone of gleaming appearance, often translated as “beryl.”
- וּדְמוּת (u-demut) – Root: דמה; Form: Conjunction + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and the likeness”; Notes: Indicates resemblance or pattern common to all four wheels.
- אֶחָד (eḥad) – Root: אחד; Form: Numeral masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Expresses unity of design across the four wheels.
- לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן (le-arbaʿtan) – Root: ארבע; Form: Preposition לְ + numeral construct with 3rd person plural suffix; Translation: “to the four of them”; Notes: Distributive reference: all four wheels shared one likeness.
- וּמַרְאֵיהֶם (u-marʾehem) – Root: ראה; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their appearance”; Notes: Restates the visionary description with emphasis.
- וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם (u-maʿaseihem) – Root: עשה; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “and their work”; Notes: Repetition underscores both visual and functional aspects.
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka-asher) – Root: particle; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “as / just as”; Notes: Introduces comparative clause.
- יִהְיֶה (yihyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “it was / it would be”; Notes: Verb of existence in visionary context.
- הָאֹופַן (ha-ʾofan) – Root: אופן; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the wheel”; Notes: Refers to an individual wheel within the vision.
- בְּתוֹךְ (be-tokh) – Root: תוך; Form: Preposition; Translation: “within / inside”; Notes: Marks spatial relation of one wheel within another.
- הָאֹופָן (ha-ʾofan) – Root: אופן; Form: Noun masculine singular with article; Translation: “the wheel”; Notes: Describes the enigmatic vision of a wheel within a wheel, symbolizing multidirectional motion.