וַתֵּ֨רֶא֙ כִּ֣י נֹֽוחֲלָ֔ה אָבְדָ֖ה תִּקְוָתָ֑הּ וַתִּקַּ֛ח אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֥יר שָׂמָֽתְהוּ׃
And she saw that she was cast down, her hope was lost, and she took one of her cubs, a young lion she set him up.
Morphology
- וַתֵּרֶא (va-tereʾ) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “And she saw”; Notes: Refers to the lioness (metaphor for Yisraʾel or its leadership) perceiving her condition.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the content of what she saw.
- נֹוחֲלָה (noḥalah) – Root: חלל (ḥalal); Form: Niphal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “she was cast down”; Notes: Indicates humiliation or being weakened.
- אָבְדָה (ʾavdah) – Root: אבד (ʾavad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “was lost”; Notes: Refers to the disappearance or destruction of hope.
- תִּקְוָתָהּ (tiqvatah) – Root: קוה (qavah); Form: Noun feminine singular with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “her hope”; Notes: The prospect of survival or success is extinguished.
- וַתִּקַּח (va-tiqqaḥ) – Root: לקח (laqach); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “and she took”; Notes: Action of seizing or selecting one cub.
- אֶחָד (ʾeḥad) – Root: אחד (ʾeḥad); Form: Numeral masculine singular; Translation: “one”; Notes: Identifies a single cub chosen.
- מִגֻּרֶיהָ (mi-gureha) – Root: גור (gur); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural with 3rd person feminine singular suffix; Translation: “from her cubs”; Notes: Specifies that the cub was one of her offspring.
- כְּפִיר (kefir) – Root: כפר (kefir); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a young lion”; Notes: Represents the rising leader, youthful strength.
- שָׂמָתְהוּ (samatʹhu) – Root: שׂים (sim); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular + 3rd person masculine singular suffix; Translation: “she set him up”; Notes: Action of establishing or positioning the young lion.