עַל־כֵּן֙ תָּפ֣וּג תֹּורָ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יֵצֵ֥א לָנֶ֖צַח מִשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּ֤י רָשָׁע֙ מַכְתִּ֣יר אֶת־הַצַּדִּ֔יק עַל־כֵּ֛ן יֵצֵ֥א מִשְׁפָּ֖ט מְעֻקָּֽל׃
Therefore Torah grows numb and justice does not go out forever because the wicked surrounds the righteous therefore justice goes out twisted.
Morphology
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Introduces a logical consequence in the prophet’s argument.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Strengthens the causal force of the preceding preposition.
- תָּפ֣וּג (tafog) – Root: פוג (pug); Form: Qal imperfect 3fs; Translation: “grows numb”; Notes: Describes Torah losing force or vitality in society.
- תֹּורָה (torah) – Root: ירה (yarah); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “Torah”; Notes: Refers to instruction or law, here socially ineffective.
- וְלֹֽא־ (ve-lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Conjunction + negative particle; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Introduces negation parallel to earlier lament structures.
- יֵצֵא (yetze) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “goes out”; Notes: Refers to the public manifestation of justice.
- לָנֶצַח (la-netzakh) – Root: נצח (netzakh); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Indicates enduring absence of justice.
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “justice”; Notes: Legal judgment or social justice.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces the underlying reason for societal collapse.
- רָשָׁע (rasha) – Root: רשע (rashaʿ); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “the wicked”; Notes: Represents those who subvert justice.
- מַכְתִּיר (makhtir) – Root: כתר (katar); Form: Hifil participle masculine singular; Translation: “surrounds”; Notes: Hifil indicates causing to encircle, describing oppression.
- אֶת־ (et) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks the following noun as the grammatical object.
- הַצַּדִּיק (ha-tzaddik) – Root: צדק (tzadak); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the righteous”; Notes: The one oppressed by the wicked encirclement.
- עַל־ (ʿal) – Root: על (ʿal); Form: Preposition; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Introduces the second consequence.
- כֵּן (ken) – Root: כן (ken); Form: Adverb; Translation: “so”; Notes: Emphasizes the direct causal relationship.
- יֵצֵא (yetze) – Root: יצא (yatza); Form: Qal imperfect 3ms; Translation: “goes out”; Notes: Repetition underscores the distortion of proper justice.
- מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “justice”; Notes: Here corrupted, in contrast to true justice.
- מְעֻקָּל (meʿuqqal) – Root: עקל (ʿaqal); Form: Pual participle masculine singular; Translation: “twisted”; Notes: Indicates perverted or distorted justice, the climax of the prophet’s complaint.