בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם מַה־יִּֽהְיֶ֥ה עֵץ־הַגֶּ֖פֶן מִכָּל־עֵ֑ץ הַזְּמֹורָ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה בַּעֲצֵ֥י הַיָּֽעַר׃
“Son of man, what will the wood of the vine be more than any wood, the tendril that was among the trees of the forest?
Morphology
- בֶּן־אָדָם – Root: בן / אדם; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “son of man”; Notes: Ezekiel’s characteristic vocative address; construct chain links “son” to “man/human.”
- מַה־יִּֽהְיֶ֥ה – Root: היה; Form: Interrogative pronoun מַה + Qal imperfect (yiqtol) 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “what will be”; Notes: The interrogative frames a comparative/ evaluative question about value or function.
- עֵץ־הַגֶּ֖פֶן – Root: עץ / גפן; Form: Noun masculine singular construct + noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “wood of the vine”; Notes: Construct chain specifies the type of wood under consideration.
- מִכָּל־עֵ֑ץ – Root: מן / כל / עץ; Form: Preposition מִן + noun “כָּל” in construct-like use + noun masculine singular; Translation: “more than any wood / than every wood”; Notes: Comparative force of מִן; here setting the vine’s wood against generic wood.
- הַזְּמֹורָ֕ה – Root: זמר; Form: Noun feminine singular definite; Translation: “the tendril/branch (of the vine)”; Notes: Refers to a prunable vine-shoot; spelling reflects a standard noun from √זמר “to prune.”
- אֲשֶׁ֥ר – Root: —; Form: Relative particle; Translation: “which/that”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause modifying “tendril.”
- הָיָ֖ה – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular; Translation: “was”; Notes: Stative/existential verb situating the tendril’s location in past time.
- בַּעֲצֵ֥י – Root: עץ; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “among the trees of”; Notes: Plural construct anticipates its genitival complement “the forest.”
- הַיָּֽעַר – Root: יער; Form: Noun masculine singular definite; Translation: “the forest”; Notes: Completes the construct phrase “among the trees of the forest,” a natural setting for the comparison.