וַיָּ֣מָד אֶ֔לֶף נַ֕חַל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־אוּכַ֖ל לַעֲבֹ֑ר כִּֽי־גָא֤וּ הַמַּ֨יִם֙ מֵ֣י שָׂ֔חוּ נַ֖חַל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יֵעָבֵֽר׃
And he measured a thousand, a river that I could not pass over, for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.
Morphology
- וַיָּמָד (va-yāmad) – Root: מָדַד (madad); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “And he measured”; Notes: Continues the sequential measuring actions performed by the man in the vision.
- אֶלֶף (ʾelef) – Root: אֶלֶף (ʾelef); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a thousand”; Notes: Refers again to a thousand cubits, maintaining the measurement pattern.
- נַחַל (naḥal) – Root: נָחַל (naḥal); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “river” or “stream”; Notes: Depicts the body of water that results from the growing flow.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that” or “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause describing the condition of the river.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לֹא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes negation within the clause.
- אוּכַל (ʾukhal) – Root: יָכֹל (yakhol); Form: Qal imperfect 1st person common singular; Translation: “I could”; Notes: Expresses inability or lack of capacity to cross.
- לַעֲבֹר (laʿavor) – Root: עָבַר (ʿavar); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “to pass over”; Notes: Completes the verb phrase with infinitive of purpose or action.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כִּי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces causal explanation for why crossing was impossible.
- גָּאוּ (gaʾu) – Root: גָּאָה (gaʾah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person common plural; Translation: “they had risen”; Notes: Describes the waters swelling or rising above their bounds.
- הַמַּיִם (ha-mayim) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the waters”; Notes: Subject of the preceding verb “had risen.”
- מֵי (mei) – Root: מַיִם (mayim); Form: Noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “waters of”; Notes: Construct linking to the descriptive term “swimming.”
- שָׂחוּ (saḥu) – Root: שָׂחָה (saḥah); Form: Qal infinitive construct functioning as adjective; Translation: “to swim”; Notes: Describes depth suitable for swimming rather than walking.
- נַחַל (naḥal) – Root: נָחַל (naḥal); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a river”; Notes: Repetition reinforces the overwhelming magnitude of the current.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a defining relative clause.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לֹא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb that follows, emphasizing impossibility.
- יֵעָבֵר (yeʿaver) – Root: עָבַר (ʿavar); Form: Nifal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “could be crossed”; Notes: Passive/reflexive form meaning “was not crossable” — describes a river impassable by human effort.