זְרַעְתֶּ֨ם הַרְבֵּ֜ה וְהָבֵ֣א מְעָ֗ט אָכֹ֤ול וְאֵין־לְשָׂבְעָה֙ שָׁתֹ֣ו וְאֵין־לְשָׁכְרָ֔ה לָבֹ֖ושׁ וְאֵין־לְחֹ֣ם לֹ֑ו וְהַ֨מִּשְׂתַּכֵּ֔ר מִשְׂתַּכֵּ֖ר אֶל־צְרֹ֥ור נָקֽוּב׃ פ
You have sown much, and you bring in little; you eat, but there is no satisfaction; you drink, but there is no intoxication; you clothe yourselves, but there is no warmth for him; and the one who earns wages earns wages for a bag pierced.”
Morphology
- זְרַעְתֶּם (zeraʿtem) – Root: זרע (zaraʿ); Form: Qal perfect 2mp; Translation: “You have sown”; Notes: Describes their efforts in agriculture that prove unfruitful.
- הַרְבֵּה (harbeh) – Root: רבה (ravah); Form: Adverb; Translation: “much”; Notes: Emphasizes the contrast between their abundant effort and minimal results.
- וְהָבֵא (ve-havê) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Conjunction + Hifil infinitive absolute used as finite; Translation: “and you bring in”; Notes: Expresses ongoing results of their labor.
- מְעָט (meʿat) – Root: מעט (maʿat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “little”; Notes: Sharp contrast with “much.”
- אָכֹול (akhol) – Root: אכל (akhal); Form: Infinitive absolute used as finite verb; Translation: “you eat”; Notes: Infinitive absolute creates vivid, emphatic narration.
- וְאֵין (ve-en) – Root: אין (ʾen); Form: Conjunction + negative existential; Translation: “and there is not”; Notes: Indicates absence of expected results.
- לְשָׂבְעָה (le-sovʿah) – Root: שׂבע (savaʿ); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to satisfaction”; Notes: Eating yields no satiety.
- שָׁתֹו (shato) – Root: שתה (shatah); Form: Infinitive absolute used as finite verb; Translation: “you drink”; Notes: Parallel structure to “you eat.”
- וְאֵין (ve-en) – Root: אין (ʾen); Form: Conjunction + negative existential; Translation: “and there is not”; Notes: Shows repeated lack.
- לְשָׁכְרָה (le-shokhrah) – Root: שׁכר (shakhar); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “to intoxication”; Notes: Drinking fails to produce normal effect.
- לָבֹושׁ (lavosh) – Root: לבשׁ (lavash); Form: Infinitive absolute used as finite verb; Translation: “you clothe yourselves”; Notes: Continues the poetic chain of actions.
- וְאֵין (ve-en) – Root: אין (ʾen); Form: Conjunction + negative existential; Translation: “and there is not”; Notes: Persistence of futility.
- לְחֹם (le-ḥom) – Root: חמם (ḥamam); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “to warmth”; Notes: Clothing does not bring warmth.
- לֹו (lo) – Root: לו (lo); Form: Preposition לְ + suffix 3ms; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Refers to the individual sufferer.
- וְהַמִּשְׂתַּכֵּר (ve-ha-mistakker) – Root: שׂכר (sakar); Form: Conjunction + definite Hitpael participle masculine singular; Translation: “and the one who earns wages”; Notes: Describes the laborer’s continual activity.
- מִשְׂתַּכֵּר (mistakker) – Root: שׂכר (sakar); Form: Hitpael participle masculine singular; Translation: “earns wages”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, underscoring fruitlessness.
- אֶל (el) – Root: אל (el); Form: Preposition; Translation: “into / toward”; Notes: Indicates direction of the wages.
- צְרֹור (tseror) – Root: צרר (tsarar); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “a bag”; Notes: A small money pouch.
- נָקוּב (naqov) – Root: נקב (naqav); Form: Qal passive participle masculine singular; Translation: “pierced”; Notes: Image of futility—wages vanish as though dropped through holes.