וּמִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־יֹ֣ום בֹּואֹ֔ו וּמִ֥י הָעֹמֵ֖ד בְּהֵרָֽאֹותֹ֑ו כִּֽי־הוּא֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים׃
“And who is able to endure the day of his coming, and who is the one standing when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like the soap of fullers.
Morphology
- וּמִי (u-mi) – Root: מי; Form: Conjunction וּ + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “And who”; Notes: Opens rhetorical question.
- מְכַלְכֵּל (mekhalkel) – Root: כול (kul); Form: Pilpel active participle masculine singular; Translation: “is enduring” or “is sustaining”; Notes: Intensive form indicating bearing up under.
- אֶת־ (et) – Root: —; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: —; Notes: Marks the definite object.
- יֹום (yom) – Root: יום (yom); Form: Noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “day of”; Notes: In construct with following infinitive.
- בֹּואֹו (boʾo) – Root: בוא (boʾ); Form: Qal infinitive construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “his coming”; Notes: Refers to the moment of arrival.
- וּמִי (u-mi) – Root: מי; Form: Conjunction וּ + interrogative pronoun; Translation: “and who”; Notes: Parallel rhetorical structure.
- הָעֹמֵד (ha-ʿomed) – Root: עמד (ʿamad); Form: Definite Qal active participle masculine singular with article הַ; Translation: “the one standing”; Notes: Denotes remaining firm or surviving.
- בְּהֵרָאֹותֹו (be-heraʾoto) – Root: ראה (raʾah); Form: Preposition בְּ + Nifal infinitive construct + suffix 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “in his appearing”; Notes: Passive sense, referring to the moment when he is revealed.
- כִּי־ (ki) – Root: כי; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
- הוּא (hu) – Root: —; Form: Independent pronoun 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to the coming Lord.
- כְּאֵשׁ (ke-ʾesh) – Root: אשׁ (ʾesh); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “like fire”; Notes: Simile of purification and judgment.
- מְצָרֵף (metsaref) – Root: צרף (tsaraf); Form: Piel active participle masculine singular; Translation: “refining”; Notes: Metallurgical imagery of purifying metal.
- וּכְבֹרִית (u-ke-vorit) – Root: ברר (barar) lexical association; Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition כְּ + noun feminine singular; Translation: “and like soap”; Notes: Substance used for cleansing garments.
- מְכַבְּסִים (mekhabbesim) – Root: כבס (kabas); Form: Piel active participle masculine plural; Translation: “of fullers”; Notes: Refers to those who wash and whiten cloth.