אֵ֛ת רֹ֥אשׁ יְנִֽיקֹותָ֖יו קָטָ֑ף וַיְבִיאֵ֨הוּ֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּעִ֥יר רֹכְלִ֖ים שָׂמֹֽו׃
The top of its young shoots he plucked, and he brought it to the land of Kenaʿan; in a city of traders he placed it.
Morphology
- אֵת (ʾet) – Root: —; Form: Particle marking definite direct object; Translation: “(marks the object)”; Notes: Introduces the direct object “the top of its young shoots.”
- רֹאשׁ (roʾsh) – Root: ראשׁ; Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “top / head”; Notes: Refers to the uppermost part, here of the cedar’s growth.
- יְנִיקֹותָיו (yenikotav) – Root: ינק; Form: Noun feminine plural with 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “its young shoots”; Notes: “Shoots” or saplings nourished from the tree, figuratively applied to offshoots of leadership.
- קָטָף (qataf) – Root: קטף; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he plucked”; Notes: Verb of harvesting or cutting off, used metaphorically for removal.
- וַיְבִיאֵהוּ (va-yeviʾehu) – Root: בוא; Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix; Translation: “and he brought it”; Notes: Hiphil causative sense “to cause to come.”
- אֶל־ (ʾel) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition; Translation: “to / into”; Notes: Marks direction of movement toward a destination.
- אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) – Root: ארץ; Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “land”; Notes: Geographic region, here specified as Kenaʿan.
- כְּנַעַן (Kenaʿan) – Root: כנע; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Kenaʿan”; Notes: Scholarly transliteration; land associated with Phoenician trade and commerce.
- בְּעִיר (be-ʿir) – Root: עיר; Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “in a city”; Notes: Locative phrase indicating placement.
- רֹכְלִים (rokhelim) – Root: רכל; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “traders”; Notes: Refers to merchants or traffickers, characteristic of Phoenician coastal cities.
- שָׂמוֹ (samo) – Root: שׂים; Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “he placed it”; Notes: Concludes the action, the eagle situates the shoot within a commercial hub.