וַתִּזְנֶ֣ינָה בְמִצְרַ֔יִם בִּנְעוּרֵיהֶ֖ן זָנ֑וּ שָׁ֚מָּה מֹעֲכ֣וּ שְׁדֵיהֶ֔ן וְשָׁ֣ם עִשּׂ֔וּ דַּדֵּ֖י בְּתוּלֵיהֶֽן׃
And they committed harlotry in Mitsrayim; in their youth they played the harlot; there their breasts were pressed, and there their virgin bosoms were handled.
Morphology
- וַתִּזְנֶינָה (va-tiznenah) – Root: זנה (zanah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “and they committed harlotry”; Notes: Used metaphorically for idolatry and unfaithfulness to YHWH.
- בְמִצְרַיִם (be-Mitsrayim) – Root: מצרים (Mitsrayim); Form: Preposition בְ + proper noun; Translation: “in Mitsrayim”; Notes: Geographic reference to Egypt.
- בִּנְעוּרֵיהֶן (bi-neʿureihen) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Preposition בְ + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “in their youth”; Notes: Refers to early stages of their figurative life as nations.
- זָנוּ (zanu) – Root: זנה (zanah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “they played the harlot”; Notes: Parallel repetition to emphasize their corruption.
- שָׁמָּה (shammah) – Root: שׁם (sham); Form: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Locative adverb pointing to Mitsrayim.
- מֹעֲכוּ (moʿakhu) – Root: מעך (maʿakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they pressed”; Notes: Describes physical defilement, metaphor for humiliation.
- שְׁדֵיהֶן (shedeihen) – Root: שׁד (shad); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “their breasts”; Notes: Object of physical abuse, emphasizing degradation.
- וְשָׁם (ve-sham) – Root: שׁם (sham); Form: Conjunction + adverb of place; Translation: “and there”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis of the place.
- עִשּׂוּ (ʿissu) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they handled / they dealt with”; Notes: Violent connotation of exploitation.
- דַּדֵּי (daddei) – Root: דד (dad); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “bosoms of”; Notes: Poetic/erotic term for breasts.
- בְּתוּלֵיהֶן (betuleihen) – Root: בתל (betulah); Form: Noun feminine plural construct + 3rd person feminine plural suffix; Translation: “their virginity”; Notes: Refers to their virgin bosoms, stressing the violation of innocence.