רְא֤וּ בַגֹּויִם֙ וְֽהַבִּ֔יטוּ וְהִֽתַּמְּה֖וּ תְּמָ֑הוּ כִּי־פֹ֨עַל֙ פֹּעֵ֣ל בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ כִּ֥י יְסֻפָּֽר׃
Look among the nations and gaze and be astounded be astounded for a work is working in your days you will not believe though it be told.
Morphology
- רְאוּ (reʾu) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “look”; Notes: A command directed to the audience to observe what YHWH is doing among the nations.
- בַּגֹּויִם (ba-goyim) – Root: גוי (goy); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “among the nations”; Notes: Invites the audience to broaden their perspective beyond Yisraʾel.
- וְהַבִּיטוּ (ve-habbitu) – Root: נבט (nabat); Form: Conjunction + Hifil imperative masculine plural; Translation: “and gaze”; Notes: Hifil intensifies: to look attentively or consider carefully.
- וְהִתַּמְּהוּ (ve-hittamuhu) – Root: תמה (tamach); Form: Conjunction + Hitpael imperative masculine plural; Translation: “and be astounded”; Notes: Hitpael conveys reflexive astonishment, being overwhelmed by what is seen.
- תְּמָהוּ (temahu) – Root: תמה (tamach); Form: Qal imperative masculine plural; Translation: “be astounded”; Notes: Repetition doubles the rhetorical shock of the divine announcement.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for the astonishment.
- פֹעַל (poʿal) – Root: פעל (paʿal); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a work”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s decisive action in history.
- פֹּעֵל (poʿel) – Root: פעל (paʿal); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “is working”; Notes: The participle emphasizes ongoing divine activity.
- בִּימֵיכֶם (bi-ymeikhem) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine plural construct + suffix 2mp; Translation: “in your days”; Notes: Points to the imminence of the divine work.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the upcoming verb, stressing incredulity.
- תַאֲמִינוּ (taʾaminu) – Root: אמן (ʾaman); Form: Hifil imperfect masculine plural; Translation: “you will believe”; Notes: Hifil shows causative sense: to regard as true; the people will refuse belief.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “though”; Notes: Introduces concessive force in the clause.
- יְסֻפָּר (yesuppar) – Root: ספר (sapar); Form: Pual imperfect 3ms; Translation: “it be told”; Notes: Pual conveys the passive idea of a narrated or reported event.