Habakkuk 1:14

וַתַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֖ם כִּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם כְּרֶ֖מֶשׂ לֹא־מֹשֵׁ֥ל בֹּֽו׃

And You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them.

Morphology

1. וַתַּעֲשֶׂה (va-taʿaseh) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Conjunction + Qal wayyiqtol 2ms; Translation: “and you make”; Notes: Refers to YHWH causing a condition affecting all humanity.
2. אָדָם (adam) – Root: אדם (adam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “mankind”; Notes: Collective sense: human beings as a whole.
3. כִּדְגֵי (ki-dgei) – Root: דג (dag); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine plural construct; Translation: “like the fish of”; Notes: Introduces comparison showing vulnerability.
4. הַיָּם (ha-yam) – Root: ים (yam); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the sea”; Notes: Seat of chaos imagery; fish are powerless before predators.
5. כְּרֶמֶשׂ (ke-remes) – Root: רמשׂ (ramas); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “like creeping things”; Notes: Suggests creatures easily seized and without defense.
6. לֹא־ (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “that have no”; Notes: Negates the presence of a ruler.
7. מֹשֵׁל (moshel) – Root: משׁל (mashal); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “one ruling”; Notes: Refers to authority or governance.
8. בֹּו (bo) – Root: בו (bo); Form: Preposition בְּ + suffix 3ms; Translation: “over them”; Notes: Refers to the creeping things; emphasizes lack of protection or order.