חַי־אָ֕נִי נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה אִם־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם עֹ֗וד מְשֹׁ֛ל הַמָּשָׁ֥ל הַזֶּ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
As I live,” declares the Lord YHWH, “if there shall still be to you the using of this proverb in Yisraʾel.
Morphology
- חַי־אָ֕נִי (ḥai–ʾani) – Root: חי; Form: חַי adjective masculine singular + independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “As I live”; Notes: Oath formula opening; the adjective used predicatively with the pronoun conveys a solemn divine oath.
- נְאֻ֖ם (neʾum) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun masculine singular (often quasi-construct with a following divine name); Translation: “utterance,” “oracle”; Notes: Technical formula marking prophetic speech attribution.
- אֲדֹנָ֣י (ʾadonai) – Root: אדון; Form: Divine title functioning as proper name; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Here joined with the Tetragrammaton in a fixed title “Lord YHWH.”
- יְהוִ֑ה (YHWH) – Root: היה (theophoric connection traditionally noted); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Rendered as “YHWH” by user preference; paired with “Lord” in the title “Lord YHWH.”
- אִם־ (ʾim) – Root: אם; Form: Conditional particle (oath-curse idiom); Translation: “if”; Notes: In oath formulas, introduces a negative assurance: “surely not.”
- יִֽהְיֶ֨ה (yihyeh) – Root: היה; Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Main verbal predicate of the oath clause.
- לָכֶ֜ם (lachem) – Root: ל (prep) + pronominal suffix כם; Form: Preposition לְ + 2nd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “to you / for you”; Notes: Marks the addressees as experiencers/possessors of the action.
- עֹ֗וד (ʿod) – Root: עוד; Form: Adverb; Translation: “still,” “any more”; Notes: Signals cessation of a practice going forward.
- מְשֹׁ֛ל (mǝshol) – Root: משׁל; Form: Qal infinitive construct; Translation: “to use a proverb,” “proverbing”; Notes: Verbal noun expressing the act of citing a proverb.
- הַמָּשָׁ֥ל (ha-mashal) – Root: משׁל; Form: Noun masculine singular with definite article; Translation: “the proverb”; Notes: The specific saying referenced in context.
- הַזֶּ֖ה (ha-zeh) – Root: זה; Form: Demonstrative pronoun masculine singular; Translation: “this”; Notes: Deictic, pointing to the immediately quoted proverb.
- בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל (be-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל; Form: Preposition בְּ + proper noun; Translation: “in Yisraʾel”; Notes: Locative sphere in which the practice is being prohibited.