וַיַּ֤רְא הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶֽת־מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם כִּי־שָׁ֖בוּ מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם הָרָעָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל־הָרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר לַעֲשֹׂות־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃
And God saw their deeds, that they had turned from their evil way, and God relented concerning the evil that He had spoken to do to them, and He did not do it.
Morphology
- וַיַּרְא (va-yar) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “And saw”; Notes: Describes God’s observation of Nineweh’s repentance.
- הָאֱלֹהִים (ha-elohim) – Root: אלוה (eloah); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: The true God responding to human repentance.
- אֶת (ʾet) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks “their deeds” as the direct object.
- מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם (maʿaseihem) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Noun masculine plural construct + suffix 3mp; Translation: “their deeds”; Notes: Refers to their acts of repentance.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the reason for divine response.
- שָׁבוּ (shavu) – Root: שׁוב (shuv); Form: Qal perfect 3mp; Translation: “they had turned”; Notes: Indicates completed repentance.
- מִדַּרְכָּם (mi-darkam) – Root: דרך (derekh); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine singular + suffix 3mp; Translation: “from their way”; Notes: Refers to their former conduct.
- הָרָעָה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite adjective feminine singular used substantively; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: Their morally corrupt lifestyle.
- וַיִּנָּחֶם (va-yinnakhem) – Root: נחם (nakham); Form: Nifal wayyiqtol (narrative past) 3ms; Translation: “and relented”; Notes: Divine compassion or reversal of intended judgment.
- הָאֱלֹהִים (ha-elohim) – Root: אלוה (eloah); Form: Definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “God”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis in the narrative.
- עַל (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition עַל; Translation: “concerning”; Notes: Marks the object of God’s relenting.
- הָרָעָה (ha-raʿah) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Definite adjective feminine singular used substantively; Translation: “the evil”; Notes: The threatened disaster.
- אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative particle; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause about God’s previous declaration.
- דִּבֶּר (dibber) – Root: דבר (davar); Form: Piel perfect 3ms; Translation: “he had spoken”; Notes: Stronger, intensive speech form typical in divine warnings.
- לַעֲשׂוֹת (laʿasot) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Preposition לְ + infinitive construct; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Refers to intended action.
- לָהֶם (lahem) – Root: לה (la); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3mp; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to the inhabitants of Nineweh.
- וְלֹא (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction וְ + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces the final outcome.
- עָשָׂה (asah) – Root: עשׂה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “he did”; Notes: God refrains from carrying out the announced disaster.