לְקִצְבֵ֤י הָרִים֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי הָאָ֛רֶץ בְּרִחֶ֥יהָ בַעֲדִ֖י לְעֹולָ֑ם וַתַּ֧עַל מִשַּׁ֛חַת חַיַּ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃
To the extremities of the mountains I went down; the earth with her bars was upon me forever, yet You brought up my life from the pit, YHWH my God.
Morphology
- לְקִצְבֵי (le-kitzvei) – Root: קצב (katsav); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “to the extremities of”; Notes: Refers to the deepest, furthest reaches beneath the mountains.
- הָרִים (harim) – Root: הר (har); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the mountains”; Notes: Emphasizes depth below landmasses.
- יָרַדְתִּי (yaradti) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal perfect 1cs; Translation: “I went down”; Notes: Depicts Yonah’s descent to the brink of death.
- הָאָרֶץ (ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ (erets); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Personified as imprisoning him.
- בְּרִחֶיהָ (be-richah) – Root: ברח (bereakh); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural + suffix 3fs; Translation: “with its bars”; Notes: Imagery of an underworld prison closing in.
- בַּעֲדִי (baʿadi) – Root: בעד (baʿad); Form: Preposition בְּ (assimilated in construct expression) + noun + suffix 1cs; Translation: “around me”; Notes: Conveys enclosure or confinement.
- לְעֹולָם (le-ʿolam) – Root: עלם (ʿalam); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Hyperbolic expression of hopeless duration.
- וַתַּעַל (va-taʿal) – Root: עלה (ʿalah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 2ms; Translation: “and You brought up”; Notes: YHWH’s saving action reversing descent.
- מִשַּׁחַת (mi-shachat) – Root: שׁחת (shachat); Form: Preposition מִן + noun feminine singular; Translation: “from the pit”; Notes: Symbol of death or destruction.
- חַיַּי (chayyai) – Root: חיה (chayah); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my life”; Notes: Life restored from near death.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The divine rescuer.
- אֱלֹהָי (elohai) – Root: אלוה (eloah); Form: Noun masculine plural + suffix 1cs; Translation: “my God”; Notes: Personal address expressing covenantal relationship.