וַיָּ֣מָד אֶ֔לֶף וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֥נִי בַמַּ֖יִם מַ֣יִם בִּרְכָּ֑יִם וַיָּ֣מָד אֶ֔לֶף וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֖נִי מֵ֥י מָתְנָֽיִם׃
And he measured a thousand and made me pass through the waters, waters to the knees; and he measured a thousand and made me pass through, waters to the loins.
Morphology
- וַיָּמָד (va-yāmad) – Root: מָדַד (madad); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he measured”; Notes: Sequential action describing the man’s continual measurement of distance.
- אֶלֶף (ʾelef) – Root: אֶלֶף (ʾelef); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a thousand”; Notes: Represents a distance of one thousand cubits, repeated symbolically in the vision.
- וַיַּעֲבִרֵנִי (va-yaʿavirēni) – Root: עָבַר (ʿavar); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “and he caused me to pass through”; Notes: Causative action—he led or made the prophet cross through the water.
- בַמַּיִם (ba-mayim) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “in the waters”; Notes: Describes the medium through which the prophet moved.
- מַיִם (mayim) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Noun masculine plural (repetition); Translation: “waters”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, reinforcing the gradual deepening of the waters.
- בִּרְכָּיִם (birkaim) – Root: בֶּרֶךְ (berekh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun feminine dual; Translation: “to the knees”; Notes: Indicates water level reaching the knees.
- וַיָּמָד (va-yāmad) – Root: מָדַד (madad); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he measured”; Notes: Repetition indicates continuation of measurement in equal increments.
- אֶלֶף (ʾelef) – Root: אֶלֶף (ʾelef); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a thousand”; Notes: Another set of one thousand cubits measured forward.
- וַיַּעֲבִרֵנִי (va-yaʿavirēni) – Root: עָבַר (ʿavar); Form: Hiphil wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1cs; Translation: “and he caused me to pass through”; Notes: Repeated verb showing successive stages of crossing.
- מֵי (mei) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “waters of”; Notes: Construct form linking to the following noun describing the depth.
- מָתְנָיִם (motnayim) – Root: מָתְנַיִם (motnayim); Form: Noun masculine dual; Translation: “loins”; Notes: Refers to the waist region, marking the progressive increase in water depth.