וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ עַל־מָ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה נֶאֱנָ֑ח וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ אֶל־שְׁמוּעָ֣ה כִֽי־בָאָ֡ה וְנָמֵ֣ס כָּל־לֵב֩ וְרָפ֨וּ כָל־יָדַ֜יִם וְכִהֲתָ֣ה כָל־ר֗וּחַ וְכָל־בִּרְכַּ֨יִם֙ תֵּלַ֣כְנָה מַּ֔יִם הִנֵּ֤ה בָאָה֙ וְנִֽהְיָ֔תָה נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ פ
And it shall be, when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the report that is coming; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall become weak, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall go as water. Behold, it is coming and it shall be fulfilled,’ declares the Lord YHWH.”
Morphology
- וְהָיָה (ve-hayah) – Root: היה; Form: Qal perfect 3ms with waw consecutive (future sense); Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: Introduces a conditional future scenario.
- כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ (ki-yomru) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal imperfect 3mp; Translation: “when they say”; Notes: Subordinate clause of time/condition.
- אֵלֶיךָ (elekha) – Root: אל; Form: Preposition + 2ms suffix; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to the prophet as the addressee.
- עַל־מָה (ʿal-mah) – Root: מה; Form: Preposition + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “why”; Notes: Introduces the people’s inquiry.
- אַתָּה (ʾattah) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 2ms; Translation: “you”; Notes: Subject of the question.
- נֶאֱנָח (neʾenakh) – Root: אנח; Form: Nifal participle masculine singular; Translation: “sighing”; Notes: Describes Ezekiel’s lamenting action.
- וְאָמַרְתָּ (ve-ʾamarta) – Root: אמר; Form: Qal perfect 2ms with waw consecutive (future sense); Translation: “then you shall say”; Notes: Command to respond with explanation.
- אֶל־שְׁמוּעָה (el-shemuʿah) – Root: שׁמע; Form: Preposition + noun feminine singular; Translation: “because of the report”; Notes: Refers to a message of calamity.
- כִּי־בָאָה (ki-vaʾah) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3fs; Translation: “for it is coming”; Notes: Indicates certainty of the impending event.
- וְנָמֵס (ve-names) – Root: מסס; Form: Niphal perfect 3ms with waw consecutive (future sense); Translation: “and shall melt”; Notes: Metaphor for fear or despair overtaking hearts.
- כָּל־לֵב (kol-lev) – Root: לב; Form: Construct chain; noun masculine singular construct + noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “every heart”; Notes: Symbol of courage or resolve, now failing.
- וְרָפוּ (ve-rafu) – Root: רפה; Form: Qal perfect 3cp with waw consecutive (future sense); Translation: “and they shall become weak”; Notes: Refers to hands losing strength.
- כָּל־יָדַיִם (kol-yadayim) – Root: יד; Form: Construct chain; noun dual construct + noun dual absolute; Translation: “all hands”; Notes: Represents human power and ability, now failing.
- וְכִהֲתָה (ve-kihatah) – Root: כהה; Form: Qal perfect 3fs with waw consecutive (future sense); Translation: “and shall faint”; Notes: Refers to spirit becoming dim or failing.
- כָּל־רוּחַ (kol-ruaḥ) – Root: רוח; Form: Noun feminine singular construct + noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “every spirit”; Notes: Refers to inner strength or will.
- וְכָל־בִּרְכַּיִם (ve-khol-birkayim) – Root: ברך; Form: Conjunction + noun masculine dual construct; Translation: “and all knees”; Notes: Symbolic of stability, now failing.
- תֵּלַכְנָה (telakhnah) – Root: הלך; Form: Qal imperfect 3fp; Translation: “shall go”; Notes: Feminine form agreeing with “knees.”
- מַּיִם (mayim) – Root: מים; Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “as water”; Notes: Simile for trembling, weakness, and collapse.
- הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Root: —; Form: Interjection; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Marks certainty and immediacy of the event.
- בָאָה (vaʾah) – Root: בוא; Form: Qal perfect 3fs; Translation: “it is coming”; Notes: Stresses the inevitability of judgment.
- וְנִהְיָתָה (ve-nihyetah) – Root: היה; Form: Niphal perfect 3fs; Translation: “and it shall be fulfilled”; Notes: Emphasizes certainty and completion.
- נְאֻם (neʾum) – Root: נאם; Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “utterance of”; Notes: Formal prophetic affirmation.
- אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonai) – Root: אדן; Form: Noun plural with 1cs suffix; Translation: “my Lord”; Notes: Reverential title paired with YHWH.
- יְהוִה (YHWH) – Root: הוה; Form: Proper noun, Tetragrammaton; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Divine covenant name.