כִּ֣י הִנֵּֽה־אָנֹכִי֩ מֵקִ֨ים רֹעֶ֜ה בָּאָ֗רֶץ הַנִּכְחָדֹ֤ות לֹֽא־יִפְקֹד֙ הַנַּ֣עַר לֹֽא־יְבַקֵּ֔שׁ וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּ֖רֶת לֹ֣א יְרַפֵּ֑א הַנִּצָּבָה֙ לֹ֣א יְכַלְכֵּ֔ל וּבְשַׂ֤ר הַבְּרִיאָה֙ יֹאכַ֔ל וּפַרְסֵיהֶ֖ן יְפָרֵֽק׃ ס
For behold, I am raising up a shepherd in the land; the perishing he will not attend, the young he will not seek, the broken he will not heal, the standing he will not sustain; but the flesh of the healthy he will eat, and their hoofs he will tear apart.
Morphology
- כִּי (ki) – Root: —; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces an explanation of the preceding command.
- הִנֵּה־אָנֹכִי (hinneh-ʾanokhi) – Root: —; Form: Deictic particle הִנֵּה + independent pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “behold, I”; Notes: Emphatic self-declaration by YHWH.
- מֵקִים (meqim) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Hiphil participle masculine singular; Translation: “raising up”; Notes: Ongoing or imminent causative action.
- רֹעֶה (roʿeh) – Root: רעה (raʿah); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “a shepherd”; Notes: Metaphorical leader.
- בָּאָ֗רֶץ (ba-ʾarets) – Root: ארץ (ʾarets); Form: Preposition בְּ + definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “in the land”; Notes: Sphere of the shepherd’s activity.
- הַנִּכְחָדֹות (ha-nikhḥadot) – Root: כחד (kaḥad); Form: Definite Nifal participle feminine plural; Translation: “the perishing”; Notes: Those being cut off or destroyed.
- לֹא־יִפְקֹד (lo-yifqod) – Root: פקד (paqad); Form: Negative particle לֹא + Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will not attend”; Notes: Failure of oversight or care.
- הַנַּעַר (ha-naʿar) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Definite noun masculine singular; Translation: “the young”; Notes: Vulnerable members of the flock.
- לֹא־יְבַקֵּשׁ (lo-yevaqqesh) – Root: בקשׁ (baqash); Form: Negative particle לֹא + Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will not seek”; Notes: Deliberate neglect.
- וְהַנִּשְׁבֶּרֶת (ve-ha-nishberet) – Root: שׁבר (shavar); Form: Conjunction וְ + definite Nifal participle feminine singular; Translation: “and the broken”; Notes: Injured or crushed members.
- לֹא יְרַפֵּא (lo-yerappe) – Root: רפא (rapha); Form: Negative particle לֹא + Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will not heal”; Notes: Refusal to restore.
- הַנִּצָּבָה (ha-nitsavah) – Root: נצב (natsav); Form: Definite Nifal participle feminine singular; Translation: “the standing”; Notes: Those barely surviving or standing firm.
- לֹא יְכַלְכֵּל (lo-yekhalqel) – Root: כלכל (kalkel); Form: Negative particle לֹא + Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will not sustain”; Notes: Withholding nourishment or support.
- וּבְשַׂר (u-vesar) – Root: בשר (basar); Form: Conjunction וּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “but the flesh”; Notes: Marks contrast with prior neglect.
- הַבְּרִיאָה (ha-beriʾah) – Root: ברא (baraʾ); Form: Definite adjective feminine singular; Translation: “the healthy”; Notes: Ironically the only ones exploited.
- יֹאכַל (yoʾkhal) – Root: אכל (ʾakhal); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will eat”; Notes: Predatory behavior.
- וּפַרְסֵיהֶן (u-farseihen) – Root: פרסה (parsah); Form: Conjunction וּ + noun feminine plural with suffix 3rd person feminine plural; Translation: “and their hoofs”; Notes: Refers to the flock’s extremities.
- יְפָרֵק (yefareq) – Root: פרק (paraq); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he will tear apart”; Notes: Graphic depiction of violent exploitation.