וְאָמַ֕ר לֹ֥א נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי אִישׁ־עֹבֵ֤ד אֲדָמָה֙ אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אָדָ֖ם הִקְנַ֥נִי מִנְּעוּרָֽי׃
And he will say, ‘Not a prophet am I; a man working the ground am I, for a man acquired me from my youth.’
Morphology
- וְאָמַר (ve-ʾamar) – Root: אמר (ʾamar); Form: Conjunction וְ + Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular (future sense in context); Translation: “and he will say”; Notes: Introduces the speaker’s self-defensive declaration.
- לֹא (lo) – Root: לא (lo); Form: Negative particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the following identification.
- נָבִיא (naviʾ) – Root: נבא (navaʾ); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a prophet”; Notes: Refers to the prophetic role being explicitly rejected.
- אָנֹכִי (ʾanokhi) – Root: אנכי (ʾanokhi); Form: Independent personal pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic self-reference strengthening the denial.
- אִישׁ (ʾish) – Root: אישׁ (ʾish); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Introduces an alternative identity.
- עֹבֵד (ʿoved) – Root: עבד (ʿavad); Form: Qal active participle masculine singular; Translation: “working”; Notes: Describes habitual occupation rather than status.
- אֲדָמָה (ʾadamah) – Root: אדמה (ʾadamah); Form: Noun feminine singular absolute; Translation: “ground”; Notes: Agricultural land, contrasting with prophetic activity.
- אָנֹכִי (ʾanokhi) – Root: אנכי (ʾanokhi); Form: Independent personal pronoun 1st person common singular; Translation: “I”; Notes: Repetition reinforces the claimed identity.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the explanatory reason.
- אָדָם (ʾadam) – Root: אדם (ʾadam); Form: Noun masculine singular absolute; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Refers to another human acting as purchaser or master.
- הִקְנַנִי (hiqnani) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Hifil perfect 3rd person masculine singular + suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “he acquired me”; Notes: Expresses ownership or binding obligation rather than mere instruction.
- מִנְּעוּרָי (min-neʿuray) – Root: נער (naʿar); Form: Preposition מִן + noun masculine plural with suffix 1st person common singular; Translation: “from my youth”; Notes: Indicates long-standing status from early life.