וּשְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ בְּתֹוכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה לֹ֥א יַצִּ֖ילוּ בָּנִ֣ים וּבָנֹ֑ות כִּ֛י הֵ֥ם לְבַדָּ֖ם יִנָּצֵֽלוּ׃
And though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord YHWH, “they would not deliver sons or daughters, but they alone by themselves would be delivered.
Morphology
- וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת (u-sheloshet) – Root: שלשׁ (shalosh); Form: Conjunction + masculine singular construct; Translation: “and three (of)”; Notes: Introduces the group in construct form.
- הָאֲנָשִׁים (ha-anashim) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Definite article + masculine plural noun; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Refers to the righteous figures.
- הָאֵלֶּה (ha-elleh) – Root: אלה (ʾelleh); Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the individuals mentioned earlier (Noaḥ, Danʾel, Iyyov).
- בְּתֹוכָהּ (be-tokhah) – Root: תוך (tokh); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “in its midst”; Notes: Refers to the land under judgment.
- חַי־אָנִי (ḥai-ʾani) – Root: חיה (ḥayah); Form: Adjective masculine singular + independent pronoun 1st person singular; Translation: “by my life”; Notes: Divine oath formula.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “declaration”; Notes: Prophetic affirmation formula.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן (ʾadon); Form: Plural of majesty with 1st person suffix; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverential title paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (hawah); Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Covenant name of God.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation of deliverance.
- יַצִּילוּ (yatsilu) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they would deliver”; Notes: Causative form, rescuing others.
- בָּנִים (banim) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to offspring, future generations.
- וּבָנֹות (u-banot) – Root: בת (bat); Form: Conjunction + noun feminine plural absolute; Translation: “and daughters”; Notes: Completes the phrase for children.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: Here marks contrast or limitation.
- הֵם (hem) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphasizes the subject.
- לְבַדָּם (levaddam) – Root: בדד (badad); Form: Preposition + noun masculine singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “by themselves alone”; Notes: Stresses exclusivity of their deliverance.
- יִנָּצֵלוּ (yinnatselu) – Root: נצל (natsal); Form: Niphal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they would be delivered”; Notes: Passive nuance, only they escape, not their families.