כִּֽי־חָ֥לָֽה לְטֹ֖וב יֹושֶׁ֣בֶת מָרֹ֑ות כִּֽי־יָ֤רַד רָע֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה לְשַׁ֖עַר יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
For she has writhed for good the inhabitant of Marot for evil has come down from YHWH to the gate of Yerushalayim.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the explanation for the distress described.
- חָלָה (ḥalah) – Root: חלה (ḥalah); Form: Qal perfect 3fs; Translation: “she has writhed”; Notes: Suggests intense pain, anguish, or waiting in distress.
- לְטוֹב (le-tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “for good”; Notes: Indicates longing or hope for relief, which does not arrive.
- יֹושֶׁבֶת (yoshevet) – Root: ישׁב (yashav); Form: Qal participle feminine singular; Translation: “the inhabitant of”; Notes: Personifies the town of Marot.
- מָרֹות (Marot) – Root: מרה (marah, probable); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Marot”; Notes: Possibly means “bitterness,” enhancing the wordplay with suffering.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the true cause of Marot’s anguish.
- יָרַד (yarad) – Root: ירד (yarad); Form: Qal perfect 3ms; Translation: “has come down”; Notes: Describes descent of calamity.
- רָע (raʿ) – Root: רעע (raʿaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Refers to disaster or judgment.
- מֵאֵת (me-et) – Root: את (’et); Form: Preposition מִן + noun; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin of the disaster as divine.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) – Root: הוה (havah); Form: Proper divine name; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: The source of the judgment.
- לְשַׁעַר (le-shaʿar) – Root: שער (shaʿar); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to the gate of”; Notes: Indicates the destination reached by the calamity.
- יְרוּשָׁלָם (Yerushalayim) – Root: ירשלם (Yerushalayim); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yerushalayim”; Notes: The city whose gate is threatened by the approaching disaster.