הֲלֹ֣וא כִבְנֵי֩ כֻשִׁיִּ֨ים אַתֶּ֥ם לִ֛י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה הֲלֹ֣וא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הֶעֱלֵ֨יתִי֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּפְלִשְׁתִּיִּ֥ים מִכַּפְתֹּ֖ור וַאֲרָ֥ם מִקִּֽיר׃
“Are you not like the children of the Kushiyyim to Me, O children of Yisraʾel,” declares YHWH? “Did I not bring up Yisraʾel from the land of Mitsrayim, and the Pelishtim from Kaftor, and Aram from Qir?
Morphology
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle + negative particle; Translation: “Is it not…?”; Notes: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation.
- כִבְנֵי֩ (ki-vnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “like the children of”; Notes: Comparative marker indicating likeness.
- כֻשִׁיִּים (kushiyyim) – Root: כושׁ (kush); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “Kushites”; Notes: Refers to people of Kush (Ethiopia/Nubia region).
- אַתֶּ֥ם (atem) – Root: אתם (atem); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “you”; Notes: Addresses the nation collectively.
- לִ֛י (li) – Root: ל (prefix); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 1st person singular; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates belonging or relational comparison.
- בְּנֵ֥י (benei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun masculine plural construct with prefix בְּ not present here (this is construct form only); Translation: “sons of”; Notes: Head of construct chain with Yisraʾel.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרי/ישׂר (possibly y-s-r); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Name retained in scholarly transliteration.
- נְאֻם־ (neʾum) – Root: נאם (naʾam); Form: Noun masculine singular in construct; Translation: “declaration of”; Notes: Formulaic prophetic marker.
- יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH) – Root: יהה/הוה (yhwh-related); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Preserved as instructed.
- הֲלֹ֣וא (halo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Interrogative particle + negative particle; Translation: “Did I not…?”; Notes: Second rhetorical question mirroring the first.
- אֶת־ (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct-object marker; Translation: (untranslated); Notes: Marks the following noun as object of the verb.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (Yisraʾel) – Root: שרי/ישׂר (y-s-r); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Direct object of “I brought up.”
- הֶעֱלֵ֨יתִי (heʿelitiy) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Hiphil perfect 1st person singular; Translation: “I brought up”; Notes: Hiphil expresses causation: “I caused to go up.”
- מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (me-ʾerets) – Root: ארץ (erets); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the land of”; Notes: Marks origin point of the exodus.
- מִצְרַ֔יִם (Mitsrayim) – Root: מצר (metsar, proposed); Form: Proper place name; Translation: “Mitsrayim”; Notes: Retained per your scholarly transliteration rule.
- וּפְלִשְׁתִּיִּ֥ים (u-pelishtiyyim) – Root: פלשׁ (palash); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun masculine plural; Translation: “and the Pelishtim”; Notes: Refers to the Philistine people, rendered “Pelishtim.”
- מִכַּפְתֹּ֖ור (mi-kaftor) – Root: כפתר (kaftor); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from Kaftor”; Notes: Kaftor often identified with Crete.
- וַאֲרָ֥ם (va-ʾAram) – Root: ארם (aram); Form: Conjunction וְ + proper noun; Translation: “and Aram”; Notes: Refers to the ancient Aramean people.
- מִקִּֽיר (mi-qir) – Root: קיר (qir); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular; Translation: “from Qir”; Notes: Qir is an Aramean region referenced elsewhere in prophetic texts.